Shadow Mage (Blacklight Chronicles) (20 page)

“Time to question our chubby zombie.” Nikulo aimed his eyes at the bearded man. “What’s the best way to sneak inside the castle?”

The bearded man’s mouth flopped open, and a line of drool dribbled out.

“Let me release him halfway from the spell,” Nikulo said. The bearded man’s jaw twitched a bit and his eyes blinked rapidly, tears streaming down his face. He glanced up at Nikulo as if fearful of being struck.

“Can you understand me?” Nikulo bent down and stared at the man’s face.
 

The bearded man kept his eyes low. “I understand.”

“Good, that’s better. Now tell us how to sneak into the castle.”

“There are guards everywhere, constantly on patrol—ahh, no, that hurts!”

“I didn’t ask that, I asked how to sneak inside. Focus.”

“The sewer…I know an unguarded entrance through the sewers.” The bearded man grimaced and twisted up his face, like he was trying to fight Nikulo’s hold over his mind.

Nikulo puckered up his lips and nodded in satisfaction. “Take us there.”

The pine forest swept up the mountain until it reached a wall of boulders and bluffs, with the many-layered castle towering high above. They followed the wet stench up through the boulders and into a cave that sloped up into the heart of the mountain. Either side of the cave floor was thankfully dry, but the middle held a slow running river of filthy sludge.

Talis unfurled the Surineda Map and discovered the way was free of traps (other than occasional smelly mounds of surprise). He signaled Nikulo to continue their ascent inside and cast a sphere of golden light to guide their way.
 

“Can’t you summon a spell to take the stench away?” Nikulo’s voice sounded nasally as he’d pinched his nostrils together.

“We’ve smelled worse in the Underworld.” Mara frowned as if remembering the hideous scene.

Far ahead they discovered steps snaking up, and the bearded man motioned for them to follow the way up into the darkness. Talis treaded cautiously as the steps wound up and around, finally depositing them into a cellar filled with potatoes and onions and garlic. At the other side of the room, an iron door allowed faint light from the outside through its bars.
 

“I don’t suppose you have the key,” Nikulo said to the bearded man. “No?”

Talis inspected the lock and found it a simple contraption. He sent fire energy into the area around the lock mechanism and the metal glowed white hot until the lock snapped and the door swung open.
 

“Do we need him anymore?” Mara said.

Nikulo shook his head and commanded the bearded man back to the forest. The man shambled off towards the sewers and disappeared into the darkness.

“What are we going to do when we find Aurellia?” Nikulo said.

“We talk to him.” Talis felt an eye twitch and he rubbed a hand across his face. “He said he had a way for us to get off this planet.”

“This is one enormous trap we’re walking into,” Mara said.

“Do you have any other ideas? No? Then I don’t either. I do know I’d rather sneak in unannounced than fight my way in.” Talis studied Nikulo, noticing a change in his friend. “What’s wrong?”

“I hope there’s a cure for my poison. I’m starting to feel something weakening me.”

“Really?” Mara said, placing a hand on his arm.

Nikulo brushed beads of sweat from his forehead. “I feel hot and clammy at the same time. Let’s get out of here, this place is suffocating.”

Talis cast a worried look at Nikulo, wondering what he could do to help. When they found Aurellia, Talis was determined to demand that the sorcerer cure Nikulo of his poison. They climbed the stairs up and around until the way opened up into an empty stone courtyard lined with arches and pillars. Talis made the golden orb disappear, and they crept along, keeping their backs to the wall. Charna padded alongside, sniffing the air.

Through a narrow corridor Talis could hear the clapping of boots against stone. He motioned for them to head down to the other side of the courtyard. The castle loomed higher in the distance.
 

“Do you think Aurellia is up there?” Mara whispered.

“I can’t use the map to track him.” Talis frowned, withdrawing the Surineda Map.

“Keep that out,” Nikulo said. “It can help us navigate the castle and keep us from bumping into soldiers.”

“And find Palarian or Rikar? Don’t you think they’ll be close to Aurellia?” Mara flashed Talis a knowing look.

Talis ran a finger across the map’s surface, feeling the heat rush up his arm and warm his body. He focused his mind on finding Palarian and Rikar, sensing any danger from guards, and displaying all the rooms and corridors of the castle.
 

Rikar was nowhere to be found on the map.

The sorcerer was ahead at the main castle, although Talis couldn’t tell if he was high above or deep below. The map was littered with spidery passageways criss-crossing atop the many levels of the castle.

“So confusing,” Talis said. “Palarian is here, but I can’t tell what level he’s on.”

Mara tilted her head, peering at the map. “Simple. Shift the perspective on the map to see it sideways.”

She had a point. Talis commanded the map to show the castle from a side view, and there it was.
 

Palarian was down in the deepest depths of the castle dungeon.

The Surineda Map displayed hundreds of red and orange and magenta points of light moving through the many layers of the castle. But where Palarian was down deep in the dungeon contained only magenta dots glowing eerily.
 

“I have a terrible feeling about going down there,” Mara said, her voice shaky. “I told you this was all a trap. Why would Palarian be down there? Is he a prisoner?”

Talis frowned at the map, his hands trembling from the heat. “And why are there only magenta colored dots in the dungeon?”

“Ask the map if there’s anything to eat and drink around here.” Nikulo slapped his belly. “I’m hungry.”

Mara rolled her eyes at Nikulo. “Didn’t you just eat a few hours ago? You practically ravaged that roast.”

“I’m guessing magenta dots are a bad thing indeed, and I’d rather not go into battle feeling hungry.”

“Maybe there’s a way we can avoid fighting,” Talis said.

“You carrying a magic cloak of invisibility or something?” Nikulo scoffed.

“No, I wish. But if we simply avoid the dots, we’re most likely to avoid fighting, right?”

Talis stared at the map again, trying to figure out how to navigate down to where Palarian was in the dungeon. They were on the ground level now, but the sorcerer was seven levels down in the lowest part of the castle. Talis imagined seeing the map at a top-down yet slightly rotated view, so he could make out two levels at a time. That was exactly what he wanted. With this view he could see all the stairwells and still keep an eye on the enemies walking around.

“Let’s go.” He grinned at Mara, proudly showing her the map.

“That’s amazing!” she said, studying the map. “How did you get it like that? I’ve never seen a map drawn at an angle.”

Nikulo peered over as well. “Maybe we can navigate the dungeon without being seen.”

They stalked towards a side entrance leading down into the first level. The wooden door was old and ready to fall apart. This had to be the servant’s entrance as Talis noticed dropped cabbage leaves and a shriveled potato on the grimy floor. The way down was dark, and the air smelled of garlic and roast.
 

“I do believe we found the kitchen,” Nikulo whispered, and licked his lips.

The map displayed all orange dots in the next room, so Talis figured they were servants, and hopefully not a threat. As they entered the room, fearful eyes glanced at them, then gazed at the floor. Talis pretended he was there to inspect the kitchen, keeping his back stiff and chin raised arrogantly.

“What’s the garlic dish you’re preparing? Ah…a pot of soup? A sample? Yes, of course, my friend here is hungry.” Talis gestured towards Nikulo.

 
“Garlic cream soup?” Nikulo opened his mouth expectantly. “How do you make it?”

A tall, gangly man with thinning hair raised an eyebrow at Nikulo. “Sheep’s cream, devil’s garlic, black pepper, diced potatoes, shredded cabbage. And other assorted ingredients I’d prefer not to divulge.”

“Devil’s garlic? I’m not familiar with the term.”

The cook motioned Nikulo over to an old, abused table filled with enormous garlic cloves tinged with a distinctive purplish hue. Nikulo inspected the garlic and sniffed curiously.

“Might I have a taste of the soup? Oh…well…if you insist I try a whole bowl, I certainly couldn’t refuse. And bread? That’s an interesting looking loaf….”

“Flatbread with rosemary.” The cook studied Nikulo, and glanced at Charna, eying the lynx suspiciously. “Are you visitors of the master?”

“You could say that.” Talis flashed the man an honest smile.

“Perhaps the other young master and young miss would enjoy a bite as well?”

Talis and Mara waved the idea away. “We’ve just eaten.”

The other servants returned to their tasks: cleaning pots, kneading dough, cutting vegetables, hacking meat, and placing food on plates. Nikulo belched and massaged his stomach, a warm smile spreading across his face.

“A most excellent soup…my compliments to the cook. And a fine bread, too.”

The cook bowed and the old woman kneading bread tilted her head and allowed a faint smile to lighten her worn face.
 

Talis motioned towards the far door, and Nikulo brushed off his hands and gave the soup bowl back to the cook. They were close to the door when the old woman cleared her throat.

“Such kind young masters,” she said, her voice melodic and soft. “If only the other young masters were so kind….”

At her words Talis felt pity for these people, so fearful of the ruling house, and perhaps abused by the soldiers as well.
 

“Nice people,” Mara whispered, and stepped through the door Talis held open.

“And fabulous cooks… You don’t think we could hang around for supper?” Nikulo’s eyes looked hopeful.

Talis shook his head, wishing there was more they could do to help them, but knew they were probably powerless in a direct fight against Aurellia and his army. He felt the tepid power flowing from the crystal in his backpack, and the truth sank deep inside: it wasn’t enough power to win.

“Down here is another stairwell,” Talis said. “I think this is the servant’s way leading to the lower chambers. That should help us avoid well traveled areas.”

They found it easy to sneak five levels down through stone corridors, past statues of gargoyles, angels, demons, and scowling figures of former masters of the house. The lower levels contained prison cells with shackles waiting to bind, iron bars flung open carelessly, and guards who marched as if they were the only ones here.

But once they reached the sixth level, after winding down and around a spiraling stone stairwell, they found a vast earthen chamber, dark and dank, with razor-sharp spikes pointing up, covering every inch of the floor.
 

“What in the name of Nyx?” Mara said, bending down to inspect a spike.

Talis huffed. “You’d need to fly to get across the room. Be careful, Charna, stay back here with us.” He patted the lynx’s head, and she murmured in response.

“Aurellia said he’d test us,” Nikulo said. “How are we going to get past this?”

“We could tie boards on our feet,” Mara said, and grinned.

“Somehow I have a feeling that wouldn’t work.” Talis glanced around the room and found a stone. He placed it on a spike and nodded as the stone was eaten away by the metal.

“Nasty,” Mara said. “Magic infused in the spike?”

“I’m guessing even flying wouldn’t get you safely to the other side either.” Talis tossed a rock across the room, and the spikes shot up into the air and the stone exploded into dust.

Mara and Nikulo jumped at the explosion. “Maybe we can find another way back home,” she said, her voice uncertain.

“I have a better idea.” Talis summoned a brilliant golden orb and sent it across the room. Spikes shot up towards the orb, but retreated after doing nothing to harm the light. Far off on the other side of the room, the orb shone on a ledge in front of a stone door. Their destination. He bent down and placed a rune on the dry earth, pictured the ledge in his mind’s eye, and cast a binding spell. The glowing rune characters illuminated the dust flittering in the air. He stepped on the rune and a churning shadow portal appeared, beckoning them inside.

“And you’re sure that somehow the spikes won’t get us?” Mara frowned.

“Well, they couldn’t harm the orb… And I think technically we won’t even be anywhere near the spikes.” Talis rubbed his chin, hoping it was true. “I think one moment we’ll be here and the next moment we’ll be over there….”

Nikulo motioned Talis towards towards the shadow portal. “Then by all means…after you.”

“What? You don’t trust me? Oh, I get it, I’m the test subject.”

“You could say that.” Nikulo raised his hands, a doubtful expression on his face.