-last edited on Jan 19, 2019 17:58:30 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 19, 2019 17:58:17 GMT
Chapter 32
Skirj was still trying to wrap his head around his new future when a new set of footsteps became audible. It was Skrag this time and Skirj greeted him with a smile as he asked, “So, what are you planning on doing? You said you would tell me after, and here we are.”
Skirj waved a hand to tell his brother to take a seat and began to explain. He hadn’t been talking very long when Septimus returned, reassuring Skrag that his powers weren’t dangerous. And then it was time to go and Skirj had to say goodbye to the only family he had left, unsure when they would see each other again.
Septimus led them a long distance away before he opened a portal. “After you.”
Skirj stepped through into a circular room filled with boxes of seemingly infinite varieties arranged haphazardly in unstable pillars. “Where are we?”
Stepping through behind him, Septimus answered, “The storage room. Before I can get you settled in, there is something I must find.”
Skirj waited patiently as the sorcerer dug through boxes, until at last he fished something out of a tall purple hatbox filled with broken bits of mechanical devices. The item was a clear lens, just shy of two inches across, surrounded by a thin gold band. It was well-made, polished and smooth, but free of embellishment. “What is it?”
Septimus turned around suddenly, as if just remembering the goblin was there. “It will allow me to see past events in my location. I need to make sure no one has tampered with my belongings in my absence.”
Skirj followed Septimus to the high room he called home and watched as he examined the room through the lens, turning it in his hand to look further back. At last, the sorcerer finished. “All is well,” he said, and brought Skirj back to the storage room, where he returned the lens to its prior place. The moon was on its descent now and Septimus glanced at the sky, seemingly worried. “I have to go take care of some business. Let me show you to a room and I will meet you in the morning.” Once again, Skirj followed Septimus to a new destination. The room he was brought to was plainly furnished, with two small beds and little else. Before he could ask any more questions, Septimus was gone.
-last edited on Jan 20, 2019 17:30:44 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 20, 2019 17:30:06 GMT
Chapter 33
“This is useless!” Skirj flung the book he was reading across the room. It hit the wall with a crack as the ancient binding snapped. Loose pages fluttered in the air before drifting back down to earth.
Errica and Hayteleck – it was just the three of them now, since Digls had left – looked up at the sound. The elf stood up slowly and said softly, “It’s okay. You just need a break. Get some sleep, something to eat. You’ll be able to think more clearly.” He risked a tentative smile, hoping his goblin friend would see he was trying to help.
Skirj turned on him, rage written boldly across his face. “It is not okay! I don’t have time to rest! My brother needs my help and these books are giving me nothing!” He picked up the nearest scroll and tore it in half. “Nothing!”
Now Errica stood up as well. “You need to cool it. It’s been a week! What did you expect? The books in this room would take decades, centuries even, to read through fully. Your brother isn’t going anywhere!”
Skirj’s hand drifted to the hilt of his new sword. “Don’t you dare tell me about my brother!”
In response, Errica’s teeth and nails began to lengthen and sharpen. “I’ll talk about whomever I want to talk about, thank you very much. If you have a problem with that, let’s settle it!”
Hayteleck could see things had gone too far, and he leapt between the two before blows could be exchanged. “Both of you, stop it! Skirj, arguing like this isn’t getting you any closer to your goal, and Errica, you volunteered to help with this so don’t act like you were forced.”
The Mermian stormed out, and Hayteleck turned to follow. But before he left, he said, “What you’re doing isn’t healthy, Skirj. Just look at yourself. You need a proper night’s sleep and a good meal. In your current condition, you’re not going to get anywhere, even when you do find the right book.” He walked away then, and Skirj was alone.
-last edited on Jan 21, 2019 18:03:56 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 21, 2019 18:03:49 GMT
Chapter 34
Skirj just sat there for a long time, unsure what to do next. He didn’t want to go after his friends; if they decided to leave it was their business. But the books were getting him nowhere. He needed a new approach, some way to find the information that he was looking for without spending years in this library. Skirj shuddered as he remembered the dreams of his brother. Each time, he seemed farther away. He was running out of time. That was when the goblin saw Errica’s forgotten backpack on the floor, open, papers spilling out. Septimus’s notes, of course! They would have what he needed. He was sure of it.
So Skirj spent the next few hours reading through the pages of cramped handwriting that Septimus had left behind. A lot of it, especially what appeared to be more recent writings, was about dreams. Skirj set those aside for later; perhaps they could help him cure his nightmares. He found what he was looking for hidden under a long treatise on alchemical transfigurations applied to living beings: Septimus’s notes on the Well. It was so simple! Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Skirj had been spending all his time and energy looking for a way to turn back time when what he should have been doing was going in to bring his brother back. The Crown had shown him that the Well was a gateway to the realm of souls and that the shadows he had fought were those very same souls that resided there, and yet he had forgotten this. Perhaps losing the Crown had created a block in his memory. There was no time to ponder the implications of that now, however. If he could return to the Well’s last location, Septimus’s notes might give him what he needed to reopen it and find his brother. Snatching up the papers and, almost as an afterthought, the knapsack that held his provisions, Skirj teleported away, a seed of hope growing inside him once again. It was another hour before Errica and Hayteleck returned to talk to their friend, ready to smooth things over.
Progress update: After doing basically nothing for several days, I wrote four chapters today. That puts me at 98 chapters written, out of 121 (plus a four-part epilogue). Today I wrote some flashbacks for Legolie, and it's a little emotional. Hopefully, you'll agree.
-last edited on Jan 22, 2019 19:22:59 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 22, 2019 19:22:49 GMT
Chapter 35
It was dark in the small room far below the castle. Skirj waved his hand and a light appeared in the air before him. He saw that someone had walled up the single entrance. That was good; he didn’t have to worry about being discovered.
Skirj’s light cast flickering shadows on the unadorned walls and floor. The goblin briefly wondered what a room so lacking in, well, anything could have been used for originally. Glancing around, he realized that there was, in fact, something in the room other than him, a pile of gray cloth on the floor near the center. Skirj knelt to get a closer look and his light reflected off something inside. He reached in and pulled out a very familiar golden mask cast in the shape of a human skull. It was Septimus’s mask, clearly, and the pile of cloth had been his robes, but something was not right. Taking a closer look at the mask, Skirj saw that the glittering red gemstone had been removed from its setting in the forehead. What did this mean? What had happened here? What had happened to Septimus Merlinsson? Skirj had an idea of how he could find out the answers to these questions, but it would be dangerous, and he needed to form a plan and prepare himself mentally and physically.
Skirj’s first step was to cast a Ward on himself against locator spells. The last thing he wanted was his friends following him, or, worse, someone from the Towers tracking him. Luckily, he had found a scroll full of various Wards in the Temple and had kept it in his backpack in case any of them ever became useful.
As he finished casting the spell, Skirj realized just how tired he was. He could barely stand, and his eyes kept drifting shut despite his best efforts to force them open. Perhaps some sleep would do him some good after all. The rest of the preparations could wait until morning, now that he had a clear direction in his quest.
So Skirj slept, and he dreamt. As usual, the dreams were of himself trying and failing to save his brother, but this time he was also trying to save Septimus Merlinsson.
-last edited on Jan 23, 2019 21:48:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 23, 2019 21:48:25 GMT
Chapter 36
Silence in the forest, save for the soft crunch of grass beneath their feet. Not an owl stirred in the branches of the trees above them, not a mouse rustled through the bushes in search of food. Terra shivered in the cool night air. They had almost arrived at the castle, and the long walk had warmed her some, but not enough for her liking. By now, the heat of summer should have chased off this cold, but it appeared that summer had other places to be this year.
Terra came to a sudden stop as Hyplaeuse, just in front of her, raised a hand to command the halt. Rimil, next to the Mermian, did the same. Though he had not been part of the planning session, the short lizardfolk man had insisted on coming with the group on the first ship, saying something about a dream. The others had reluctantly agreed, and Sky had given up his spot, moving to the second ship with Hithrol. Neceire would come on the third, and Belarius on the fourth and final. Hithrol had told none of the other Riders about what was happening; he didn’t want to put them in danger.
Moving up next to Hyplaeuse, Terra whispered, “What is it?”
The gray-feathered Falkrion shook her head. “Something is wrong. There is something in the trees.”
“How can you even-,” Terra cut herself off before she could finish the question. She had forgotten how strong Falkrion vision was. “Anyway, it’s probably just a badger or something.”
Hyplaeuse shook her head. “Only if badgers wear armor now. I think we might be surrounded by soldiers.”
“What do we do?” Terra tightened her grip on her trident.
“We attack first.” Hyplaeuse let out a series of harsh calls and all the Falkrions leapt at the trees, spears in hand, including Hyplaeuse herself. Terra, unsure what to do, followed after her.
The forest that had been so still just minutes before now erupted in a frenzy of flashing steel. Someone had lit a torch and now Terra could see what was going on, at least the parts that weren’t blocked by trunks and leafy branches. Spears and claws beat against armor, swords against feathers. Some of the Falkrions took to the sky, to escape the chaos, but half of those were felled by arrows as soon as they left the trees.
-last edited on Jan 24, 2019 18:39:12 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 24, 2019 18:39:01 GMT
Chapter 37
Two months into the journey to find the Falkrions found Terra and Raini sitting on a hill some ways from the rest of the group, watching the sun set. They had just finished their dinner, made up of whatever they had been able to find on the way – the supplies they brought had run out long ago, and there were no villages in this area – and cooked by the small lizardfolk man, Rimil. Admittedly, he had been able to turn their meager scavengings into something surprisingly palatable, as he always did, but there was only so much even he could do. But it was not the food that bothered Terra and Raini tonight; it was the journey itself. They sat there, side by side, thinking the same thoughts, but neither knowing what to say, or even if they should say anything at all.
Their thoughts were interrupted by a weak cough from behind. Turning around, they saw Rimil standing there, wringing his hands and staring pointedly at the ground a few feet in front of himself. “I, eh, saw that you were, eh, sitting out here alone, and I, eh, wanted to see if you were, eh, okay.” He looked up to meet their eyes, and then quickly down again.
Raini glanced over at Terra, a faint smile showing on her scaled face, and then turned back to Rimil. “We miss the sea. It has been too long since we were there.”
Rimil’s head bobbed up and down as he listened. “Oh, the sea. Yes, eh, it has fish, and, eh, water. Lots of water. Good place to, eh, catch fish, and, eh, to see the water.” He smiled a nervous smile – Rimil’s smiles were always nervous – before looking down again.
Raini looked at Terra again, and this time her draconic smile was broad. Terra smiled, too, and started to laugh out loud. Before long, Raini was laughing along with her, a deep boom that echoed through the rolling hills. Rimil smiled his nervous smile again, and tried to laugh with them, clearly unsure what the joke was.
When she finally calmed down, Terra got to her feet and put an arm around Rimil’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go back to join the others. We can tell them all about the sea.” Raini followed them down the hill, still chuckling.
-last edited on Jan 25, 2019 19:08:37 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 25, 2019 19:08:28 GMT
Chapter 38
Staring at the sky as one of the Falkrions fell from it with an earsplitting shriek, Terra barely had time to bring her trident up as one of their attackers charged at her. The soldier himself, it seemed, had even less time to react than she. Wary now of her surroundings, Terra scanned the area all around her as she wrenched her trident free. Clear, for now, but she saw none of her friends either. Wiping the prongs of her trident on the smashed soldier’s tunic, she saw for the first time the black dragon emblazoned on its field of dark green. How had the Dragon Kingdom known they would be here? Or was this simply a group of bandits in disguise, or rogue soldiers, waiting for any that might pass through this way. There was no time to answer such questions now, and no way to, for that matter. Terra pinpointed the nearest enemy and charged at him, trident raised high. Now was only the time to fight for their lives.
She found Hyplaeuse standing amid half a dozen fallen soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom, a spear held high in each hand and her eyes clouded over by war. When she saw Terra, she quickly ran to her side. “Five score of them, or thereabouts, four times our number. Most of the others are smashed, I think – they send their calls no longer – but enough managed to escape in time to get word of the ambush to the other groups by now. With any luck, they will have already returned to their ships and sailed away. We must do the same. Come, sister Terra, we must run now.”
Terra shook her head. “What about Rimil?” Hyplaeuse’s expression told her all she needed to know. “Where?” The Falkrion pointed over to a small clearing just a few meters away. Her ears ringing, Terra walked over to it. She did not even notice Hyplaeuse following her, watching for any soldiers that might burst from the trees.
Rimil was there, his small form splayed on the ground, a long kitchen knife – his only weapon – clutched in one hand and showing no signs of use. Hyplaeuse delicately placed a hand on Terra’s shoulder. “We must go, and he must stay here. We can do nothing for him now, not if we want to leave with our lives.” Terra nodded, and they ran together.
-last edited on Jan 26, 2019 18:31:14 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 26, 2019 18:30:37 GMT
Chapter 39
The soldiers had been waiting at the dock, too. One of the ships had burned, but the other three managed to sail, with most of those who had arrived on them making the return voyage. All three had already left when Hyplaeuse and Terra arrived at the beach, so Hyplaeuse flew and Terra swam, following the motions but not really understanding what was going on. When she reached the ship, Hithrol threw over the line to pull her up. He opened his mouth to say something but saw the expression on her face and quickly shut it. They sailed back to the dock they had left from in silence and Terra only had the strength to stagger off the ship before her legs gave way.
She awoke in her bed at Paladeen. A handful of chairs that were not hers were in the room, all turned toward the bed. Raini’s head rested on the windowsill, eyes closed. Axomius was sitting in one of the chairs and he closed the book he was reading when Terra woke up. “Oh, good, you’re awake. We were all starting to get a bit worried.”
Terra stared at him blankly. “Rimil is smashed.”
Axomius’s cheerful demeanor dropped. “I know. I’ll wake Raini and then go find the others.”
It wasn’t long before Axomius returned with Hithrol, Neceire, Sky, Tinunclus, and Hyplaeuse in tow; Terra was still explaining the night to Raini in rambling sentences. She paused when the six of them entered. “Where’s Belarius?”
Neceire scowled. “He disappeared when they started burning the ships.”
“Then . . .” A cold realization settled on her.
Axomius nodded. “He betrayed us.”
A burst of anger suddenly flared up inside Terra’s stomach. “They attacked us, unprovoked. They smashed Rimil, and who knows how many Falkrions.”
“A score and a half,” said someone. Terra thought it was Tinunclus, but her mind was elsewhere.
The Mermian clenched her fists. “We all know what must happen now. They want a fight? Well, they will have one. We must march to war.”
-last edited on Jan 27, 2019 17:11:15 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 27, 2019 17:10:20 GMT
Chapter 40
Tinunclus called, “To war!” and Hyplaeuse echoed him. Sky and Neceire nodded, and even the calm, rational Axomius seemed to be in agreement. The only one who looked doubtful was Hithrol.
“I don’t know,” said the dragon rider, “Are we sure there is no other way?”
Terra shook her head. “They attacked us first. We must do what it takes to defend ourselves. The Falkrions need our help, Hithrol.”
Reluctantly, Hithrol nodded. “Fine. I’m in, but I make no promises about Olifin, and I will not drag the Riders into this.”
“Thank you,” said Terra, “I don’t want to lose another friend.” She turned to Raini. The sea dragon hadn’t said a word. “Will you fight with me, my oldest friend?”
The huge head bobbed up and down. “I will fight to avenge Rimil. That man never hurt another person in his life and they cut him down without a second thought.”
Terra grinned. “Then let the preparations begin.” A small voice in the back of her head seemed to protest, but she squashed it. There was no time for doubt now.
Hithrol left Terra’s home with a feeling of dread deep in his stomach. War. It was coming for them, whether they liked it or not, but still he felt as if somehow this whole situation could have, should have, been avoided. He would have to keep this from the other Riders. Some of them, he knew, would want to fight, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. He was not going to lose anyone else, not after Skrag. Even Olifin would be left behind this time, if the dragon could be persuaded. The thought of not even telling his oldest friend never crossed his mind.
Regardless, he would tell Olifin nothing just yet. He needed to clear his head, get some air. Maybe a visit to Skirj would do them both some good. No, that would only make things worse. He just needed to find Olifin and go somewhere they could rest for a little while. Soon, there would be no time for rest. I hope you know what you’re doing, Terra. I really hope you know what you’re doing.
-last edited on Jan 28, 2019 21:31:27 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 28, 2019 21:31:13 GMT
Chapter 41
There was a rocky outcrop about a quarter mile from Skorj’s house, surrounded by tall pines and only accessible via a grueling climb up a nearly vertical rockface. Skirj liked to go there when he was sad, or angry, or afraid, or just in need of escape, which was just about every day. Up here, everything seemed, small, insignificant, and far away. Usually, spending just a few minutes here was enough to clear the young half-breed’s head, but not today. Chief Ornsaf was sick, and Skrag, only eleven years old, knew what that might mean for him. If there was a new chief, chances were a half-breed would no longer be welcome among the tribe. And on top of those worries, Skorj was getting worse. Without the presence of the chief to keep him in check, the warlord was becoming increasingly hostile, and oftentimes violent, to his young ward. Skrag thought there might be a day very soon where simply living under the same roof as Skorj might be dangerous.
Skrag’s worrying was interrupted by a sudden blow to the back of the head. “Ouch! What-?” He turned around to find Skirj standing over him, a vile grin on his face.
“Looks like I found your little hiding place, half-breed. Where are you gonna go now when you need to cry?” Skirj started mock-crying and Skrag stood to face him. Though they were the same age, Skrag’s human half had already caused him to grow half a head taller than Skirj. And yet, that extra height never seemed to do him any good when they fought.
“Leave me alone, Skirj. You have no right to be here.” Skrag’s fear had twisted into anger now and he struggled to keep it in check.
Skirj only laughed. “You have no right to make me leave, half-breed.” Skrag’s adopted brother never called him by his name.
Skrag opened his mouth to call for help and Skirj started laughing again. “No one’s going to help you, half-breed. Even if they knew where you were, no one would save you.”
The half-breed quickly shut his mouth; Skirj was right. Even if someone heard him, they would probably help Skirj. Grimacing, he readied his fists and prepared for a fight. Knowing it would only make Skirj angrier, he said, “Bring it on, brother.”
-last edited on Jan 29, 2019 19:32:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 29, 2019 19:32:32 GMT
Chapter 42
A flash of orange light illuminated the boxes piled almost haphazardly around the circular room as Skirj teleported into the Towers. Quickly, he took out his chalk and began inscribing runes around the room, placing them especially thickly on the two small windowsills and around the door frame. He did not know if this room had any alarms; if it did, they could be coming for him any minute, but the wards he placed now were worth the time it took to draw them. And as much as he was in a hurry to finish them, he made sure to take enough time to know that he hadn’t made any mistakes. If he did this right, no one in this room would be able to cast a spell until he removed the wards. Anyone who wanted to take him would have to fight, and that was one place where Skirj had an advantage over almost anyone in the Towers. And if he drew the wards even the slightest bit wrong, they would fail. Or, worse, they could undo spells already in the room. That would leave him without his protection against tracking and would likely ruin just about every useful artifact stored here.
But Skirj did not make a mistake as he drew the runes, and when he had finished still no one had come to confront him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he began the search for the item that had brought him here. The purple hatbox was not where he had last seen it; he hoped that didn’t mean someone had taken the item he was here for. Now truly rushing, Skirj set to disassembling the piles of boxes, moving through each stack methodically but quickly as he searched for the one he wanted. At last, tucked into a corner between a heavy, gold-plated chest and a half-rotted crate with a foul odor. Holding his breath in anticipation, Skirj reached out to take the lid off the hatbox, and then froze at the sound of the door creaking across the room. He waited for a few agonizing seconds, not daring to look behind him, but nothing happened. Exhaling slowly, the goblin began to lift the lid.
-last edited on Jan 30, 2019 20:47:38 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 30, 2019 20:47:03 GMT
Chapter 43
Before Skirj had even raised the lid half an inch from the hatbox, he heard another sound, coming from the doorway: slow, shuffling footsteps. Someone had entered, then, but not sounded the alarm. And he or she didn’t want to be heard by Skirj Carefully, the goblin slid the lid back onto the hatbox, pretending he had not heard the person. His hand drifted to his sleeve. Whoever had interrupted him could not be allowed to leave. If he or she did, the whole of the Towers would know he had been here, would know he had done something, and they would pursue him. How could he save Skrag then? It was not a task he relished, smashing someone here, but it was the task that had to be done.
The footsteps stopped, about halfway across the room, and were silent for a long minute before they picked up again. Trying to cast a spell, thought Skirj. I wonder what he thought when nothing happened. Apparently, he or she hadn’t thought to stop or call for help. He thinks he’s going to sneak up on me and capture me. It won’t be so easy. Hands shaking just a little, Skirj reached up into his left sleeve and grasped the handle of the knife hidden there. The footsteps were close now.
Pretending to be peering intently into the foul-smelling crate, Skirj began to draw the knife. Five feet away. The knife was almost out now. Four feet and stepping over one of the piles Skirj had built up in his searching. The knife was fully drawn, gripped tightly in his right hand. He pressed the blade of the knife against his forearm, careful to still keep it concealed. Three feet. Skirj bent over as if digging through the items in the crate. Two feet, close enough to touch. Skirj straightened, shaking his head. The footsteps stopped. Skirj spun around and drove the knife home. Wisdom gasped, clutching at his ribs. Skirj let go of the knife in shock and the purple-haired man fell backwards, stumbled over the boxes in his way, and hit the floor head-first with a loud crack.
-last edited on Jan 31, 2019 18:50:22 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jan 31, 2019 18:50:00 GMT
Chapter 44
Why did it have to be Wisdom? Of everyone in the Towers, the person who had found Skirj was one whom he had called a friend in days past. At a loss for what to do, the goblin knelt by Wisdom’s side to check his pulse. Still alive, that was good. But for how long? Skirj had felt the blow, seen it, and it was not one a man could recover from without magic, and soon. At least Wisdom was unconscious. He couldn’t call for help, couldn’t endanger Skirj’s mission. Only Skirj could do that now, if he so chose. And, slowly, the goblin realized that he wouldn’t. He had to save Skrag; that was what mattered. Wisdom would understand, wouldn’t he? Surely the man, as odd as he was, had someone he cared about enough to do whatever was necessary. Even this? His voice hoarse, Skirj whispered, “You understand, don’t you? I don’t want to do this, but I have no choice. No choice. You understand.” Quickly, the goblin tore a strip from Wisdom’s robes and wrapped it around the wound. That might help; for a little while, at least. Skirj wiped the knife clean on the now-tattered edge of his friend’s robe and stowed it back in his sleeve. In case someone else comes. But could he do what he did to Wisdom again? The answer was clear: to save Skrag, he could.
The lid of the purple hatbox slid off easily, exposing the tiny mechanical bits all jumbled together within. There was a moment of panic when Skirj did not see the lens right away, but after a few seconds of digging it met his fingers. Carefully, he lifted it out of the box. Not a scratch marred the clear surface, despite spending most of its time among sharp pieces of metal. Skirj breathed a sigh of relief. For this, it was all worth it. With this he could – What? For a moment, he could not remember why the lens was important, and then it returned to him. The lens would help him find Septimus Merlinsson, and Septimus Merlinsson would help him save Skrag.
Skirj cut off his thoughts as he remembered he was in a hurry. As quickly as he could, he erased the warding runes. Almost an afterthought, he shouted for help. “Someone’s hurt!” And then he was gone as quickly has he had come.
Progress Update: I had finished up through Chapter 104, but the last 4 got lost, so now I'm down to 100. And I'm too frustrated to re-write those lost chapters just yet, so it may be some time before I can get back to where I was.
