Outcasts of Velrune (31 page)

“So you believe her, Melody?”

“I’m not sure, Max. Doing so would mean our understanding of the Immortals and the spirits is wrong. That’s not easy to deal with.”

Lady Metis gently laid a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Maxwell, you’ve asked everyone else what they believe. What is it you believe?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I thought dad was devoted to the Protectors, that they treated everyone fairly. Since I left Swiftwater, I’ve seen nothing but the opposite, and now I’m told my father betrayed them. Believing Alexandra means everyone has lied to me. Except maybe Mr. Penna, he never has liked the idea of me joining the Protectors.”

Max paced back and forth, his face furrowed in concentration. “I don’t know what to believe, and I’m tired of trying to figure it out. Right now I just want to find Eve. I saw her face before she changed. She was ashamed. If I don’t find her, she might not come back, and I won’t have that. I don’t care what she is.”

Melody smiled, “Eve couldn’t have a better friend. I’ll help you find her, Max.”

“Thanks, Melody, but where do we start.”

“Alexandra warned Eve ahead of time, maybe she also told her where to go.”

Max nodded. “You may be right, Melody? I guess I’ll have to ask her.”

Max pushed past Melody and Lady Metis, making his way through the kitchen and out past the throng of people. He had made it halfway through the garden before Melody caught up to him.

“Max, they’re holding Alexandra in the dungeon. How are you going to get in to see her? Lord Avram’s surely warned the guards not to let anyone near her.”

Max gave a nervous laugh. “Get in? I don’t even know where the dungeon’s at.”

“It’s hidden under the Protector’s headquarters.”

Max’s face hardened. “That’s a start. Are you still coming?”

“You really trust me, Max?”

“At the moment, you’re one of the few I do.”

Melody smiled. “Lady Metis was right.”

Max stared at her blankly. “What?”

“She said your father always followed his heart and that you are a lot like him. She also told me that I would be a fool not go with you.”

“I would understand if you didn‘t. Who knows what trouble I’ll get in to?”

Melody gave a hearty laugh. “Plenty, I’m sure, but I will not let someone go alone who has put so much trust in the Church, or in me. Besides, I still owe you for saving me in the dead lands.”

Max felt his heart lighten a bit. “Then let’s go. I want to figure out how we’re going to break into the dungeon before it gets too dark.”

Melody rolled her eyes. “And I kept thinking Eve was the crazy one.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Are you sure about this Max?”

“No, not really. I’m open to suggestions.”

Melody sighed. “Nothing here, it’s just that this seems a bit too silly to work.”

“Normally I would agree, but, like I said, the only guards I saw this morning are at the gate. You saw for yourself that the ones on this side are asleep. I’m betting it’s the same for the two on the other side.”

“Okay then, let’s give it a shot.”

Max and Melody each rolled a barrel next to the wall separating them from the Protectors courtyard. Carefully, they stood them upright side by side. Max walked back behind the nearest house to retrieve a third barrel they had found. Rolling it next to the other two, he and Melody lifted it on to the others forming a pyramid. Max tried to rock the top barrel, but it remained steady.

“Thank goodness the first gate was left unguarded or this wouldn’t have worked.”

Satisfied, he stepped back next to Melody to survey the pyramid of barrels. She nodded at the stack. “Well, this is your idea, so you first.”

“What happened to ladies first?”

“I’ll be the first to run when they catch you climbing over the wall, how’s that?”

Max rolled his eyes. “Right.”

Max climbed the stack of barrels. From the top he grabbed the ledge of the wall and pulled himself up. He looked down the length of the wall.

“I don’t see anyone coming.”

“And you haven’t been shot by an arrow yet either.”

Max started to laugh, then realized she wasn’t joking. “Hurry, before that changes.”

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.”

Melody climbed the stack and stood on the top barrel. Max knelt, reaching out his hand to help her onto the wall. She slapped his hand away and grabbed the ledge. She pulled with her arms as she jumped and managed to slide her stomach onto the wall. She paused a moment before swinging her legs up behind her. Max shook his head and dropped down off the wall to the courtyard below. Melody, still lying on her stomach, looked down at him.

“Um, I don’t know about this.”

“You climbed up fine.”

“I didn’t have to look down then.”

Max shook his head. “Fine.” He held out his arms. “Go ahead, I’ll catch you.”

Melody moved to a sitting position with her legs hanging over the ledge. She took a deep breath and shoved herself off of the wall. Max caught her in his arms and lowered her to the ground. She straightened out her robe.

“Thank you, Maxwell.”

“I still don’t see how you climbed up, but couldn’t…”

“So what’s your plan now?”

Max stared at her a moment then shook his head again. “I’m assuming that access to the dungeon is from within the building. So, we go in and find it.”

“That simple, huh?”

A frantic neighing cut off Max’s reply. Melody grabbed his arm?

“Guards?”

“No, Starlight. We must have startled her.”

Max ran to the stable and found the horse stomping nervously. He took hold of her halter to still her while rubbing her forehead.

“Calm down girl. It’s only me. Don’t be frightened.”

Melody reached him and pointed at the ground. “We didn’t scare her, Max. There is another animal in the stall.”

Following Melody’s finger, Max watched a small figure dart out from around Starlight’s hooves. It stopped under the light of a lantern several feet away from them. Max shook his head while wiping the sweat off of his brow.

“Almost given away by a mouse.”

“Max! That’s Spook.”

“What? It can’t be.”

Melody crouched down. “Come here, Spook. You remember me, don’t you?”

Max couldn’t believe his eyes as the little mouse ran over to Melody.

“See, it is her.”

Max squatted next to Melody. “Well, I’ll be.”

Melody examined a piece of cloth tied to Spook’s tail. “Who did this?”

Max recognized the cloth at once. “It’s a piece of ribbon from Alexandra’s hair. Spook must have hidden in her dress when the Protectors took her.”

The mouse suddenly turned, running a few feet away from them before stopping and facing them once more. Spook waited a few seconds before repeating the maneuver. Melody slowly turned her head towards Max.

“I think she wants us to follower her.”

“Funny, Melody.”

“I’m serious. You would be amazed at how smart animals are. On top of that, the Immortals were known to have a great affinity with nature.”

“But it’s a mouse.”

Melody put her hands on her hips. “A few minutes ago we broke into the most heavily fortified place in Velrune by climbing a stack of empty wine barrels. Now you’re questioning following a mouse when you have no idea where you’re going to begin with?”

Max glanced back at the wall they had climbed over. “You really think she wants us to follow her?”

Melody took a couple of steps towards Spook. The little mouse turned, ran a few feet more then stopped, facing them once again. Max groaned.

“Eve’s never going to let me hear the end of this. Ok, new plan, we follow Spook.”

Max joined Melody and followed Spook as she scurried along a sparse trail of hay that led to an open door in the side of the main building. Sticking his head in, Max saw a mound of hay stacked in the center of a small room. On the far wall he saw another door leading farther into the building.

“Huh, I hadn’t noticed this door before.”

“You really didn’t have a plan on getting us in did you, Max?”

“Well…”

Spook ran through the room.

“There she goes, we’d better keep up.”

Max jogged after the mouse. Melody rolled her eyes and followed.

Spook led them through hallways, rooms and even down a flight of stairs. Max and Melody ran as hard as they could to keep Spook in sight, until she shot through a small hole in the wall of a dead-end hallway. They slid to a stop and caught their breath. After a moment, Max studied the wall.

“Now what?”

Melody felt along the wall. “My job with the Church is to validate rumors. Mostly they’re false, but every now and again one rings true.”

Melody pushed on a brick, sending the wall swinging inward. “Secret passages inside Protector Headquarters, I guess I’ll mark that rumor as true.”

The false wall revealed a spiral staircase leading down. Following for several flights, they arrived at a heavy wooden door. Taking a deep breath, Max pushed the door open. On the other side was a small room with a small lock box and a pair of guards sitting in chairs next to another door. The sound of the door opening startled the guards from their sleep. The one on the left jumped to attention.

“Who are you?”

Max stood as straight as he could and tried to sound important. “I’m Sgt. Maxwell Laskaris, I need to speak with one of the prisoners.”

“Haven’t heard of you, now get out of here.”

Melody shouted from behind. “Hey!”

Max tried to turn around, but was shoved forward. Steadying himself, he found Lysander standing next to him with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

“I need to speak to one of the prisoners as well.”

“Sgt. Harris, we thought you had left with the others.”

“I had other duties to attend to. Now, if you will let me pass.”

“I…I’m sorry sir. Lord Avram directly ordered us to keep everyone out of the dungeon until his return.”

“Is that so?”

Lysander stepped forward and grabbed the guard, lifting him off the ground with ease. The second guard reached for his sword, but Max intercepted him. Unsheathing his own sword, he held it at the guard’s neck.

Lysander shook the guard he held. “Keys.”

The guard reached a shaking hand down to his belt. He unfastened the ring of keys, dropping them to the floor.

“Good, now I think it’s time you took a little nap.”

Lysander let go of the guard, striking him on top of the head before he could reach for his weapon. With the first guard unconscious, Lysander turned to the other one. The second guard swallowed hard.

“Wait, I’ll be quiet.”

Max removed his sword from the guard’s neck. The guard sunk to his knees, his focus on Lysander.

“I won’t do anything, I promise.”

Lysander nodded. “I know you won’t. Max?”

Max swung the blunt edge of his sword, striking the guard on the back of the head. The guard fell flat. Max bent down and verified that he was unconscious. Lysander patted Max on the shoulder.

“It’s okay, Max. If this goes badly, they can at least say they put up a fight.”

Max stood. “What are you doing here, Lysander?”

“The same as you I would guess, trying to get answers.”

Melody stormed up to Lysander. “Answers? Couldn’t you have gotten those without having turned us over to the Protectors?”

“No, I couldn’t.” Lysander bent down and grabbed the keys. “Coming?”

Melody shook her head. “I don’t trust you. How do I know you aren’t going to lock us in one of those cells?”

“I understand your concern, but I have little time to convince you otherwise.”

Max stuck out his hand. “Will you at least give Melody and I your word that you will let us leave?”

Lysander shook Max’s hand. “You have my word, if it still means anything to you.”

“It does for the moment.”

Lysander nodded then turned to the lock on the door, trying one key after another until it unlocked. He swung it open and stared blankly down the dimly lit tunnel.

“I’m not sure which cell she’s in.”

Max shrugged his shoulders. “That’s okay, we’ll follow Spook.”

“What?”

Max pointed at Spook who sat on her haunches just beyond the arch of the door. Lysander stepped back in surprise.

“What the… is that the mouse Evangeline had?”

Spook turned and hurried down the corridor. The others gave chase, winding through a dizzying maze of intersecting corridors lined with cells. Finally, Spook stopped in front of a cell and waited. When they reached her she darted between the bars.