There was a gasp among those seated.
‘Are you saying they imprisoned King Ignis? Why would the Zyranian Order do such a thing? The Zyranian Order has stood by us for centuries. Surely they are our allies,’ said an old man near the front.
‘Let me tell it plainly: I believe the Zyranians have taken an evil path and are working to sow seeds of wickedness in our lands. I also believe you are being ruled by an imposter. The real King Ignis is imprisoned in the Dungeons of Zyran.’
‘We must free him!’ shouted a woman who was seated next to Eben. The group started talking frantically. Eben could hear the outrage and shock in their voices. Torela stood and turned to the group.
‘Please listen,’ she said. The room fell silent. ‘With Cassiel’s help we have devised a plan to free the King. Cassiel, if you would please describe the plan.’
Cassiel nodded and waited for the room to become completely silent. ‘It will not be easy. You have been called here because you are trusted, and we need some volunteers to complete this difficult task. Firstly we must sneak into the Citadel of Zyran. Secondly we must steal the key from Trebax, the Gatekeeper of Zyran; thirdly we must get to the dungeon gate without being seen, and last of all, we must free the King and safely escape the island. There is no way that any of us could take on the full force of the Zyranian Order, and the Citadel also has a dedicated group of one hundred highly skilled guardsmen. It is extremely important that we don’t get seen and we complete this mission in secret. The wizards are very powerful and wouldn’t hesitate to kill us if we were discovered.’
There was a silence as the group absorbed all that Cassiel had said. The silence was suddenly broken when Torg rushed down the hallway from the front of the house.
‘My Lady, palace guardsmen are entering the laneway!’ he cried.
Torela remained calm and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Everyone in the room looked up at her, waiting for her guidance. A few moments later her eyes opened. She looked up at Torg.
‘Torg, lead the people out the back door. We have been discovered. They are coming for us,’ she said. Everyone in the room stood up quickly. Torg drew his massive two handed broadsword.
Eben could feel the ground begin to shake. A groaning and screeching sound resonated down the hallway. They looked toward the entrance. An explosion blasted from the front door and shook the entire house. A wave of fire approached them at a blistering speed from the hallway, setting fire to everything in its path.
Torela lifted her hand; a ray of blue light issued forth creating a rippling energetic barrier which shielded them from the approaching fire. Eben drew his sword as Cassiel moved to stand beside Torela. The room emptied of people as Torg led the group through the kitchen and out the back door. Only Torela, Cassiel, and Eben remained in the room. The intense flames suddenly faded away. A man in a dark cape stood at the entrance to the hallway.
‘Meara,’ he grunted, his eyes full of hate. His lips curled down at the edges with malice. He was entirely bald which seemed to increase the look of brutality that was etched into his features. ‘I thought the Irilian Order had agreed to stay out of the Eastern Lands.’
‘That agreement ended when the Zyranians decided to turn against the people of Veredor,’ said Torela. ‘The Irilians work for the good of all people, you know that, Zarceler.’ At the sound of his own name the caped man smirked and stepped forward as a group of guardsmen dashed down the hallway to stand behind him.
‘Oh yes, how noble of you,’ said Zarceler mockingly, with an evil grin from ear to ear. Zarceler raised his hand. There was a flash of red light. Beams of orange energy burst through the air toward Torela. Torela lifted her hands and blue light streamed forth creating a barrier that looked like a transparent shimmering wall of energy. It shielded them from the hissing fiery energy blasts. Zarceler didn’t stop bombarding the shield with his sinister attacks. They hissed and smashed into the barrier.
A moment later a group of brutish guardsmen appeared in the kitchen at the back of the house.
‘Cassiel, take Eben and get out of here!’ cried Torela. Cassiel raised his hand and hurled several orbs of fire at the approaching soldiers in the kitchen. The blasts knocked the soldiers back, and they all tumbled away.
‘We can’t leave you!’ shouted Cassiel.
‘You must go!’ she cried out, looking back over her shoulder. ‘Please, Cassiel. Go!’ Cassiel hesitated for a moment and then turned toward the stairs.
‘Quick, up the stairs,’ cried Cassiel, pushing Eben across the room toward the staircase. Eben climbed the stairs in seconds and reached the door at the top. The door opened out into a large bedroom. At the far side of the room there was a small window. Eben went to the window and started to open it. Cassiel was not far behind.
‘No! Eben, climb the ladder to the roof!’
Cassiel locked the door and touched the handle. He muttered some words under his breath; an orange light streamed forth from his hand and entered the door causing it to instantly lock. In a heartbeat Eben had climbed the ladder and pushed open the trapdoor. A moment later he was on the empty rooftop. The whole house was shaking from the raging battle inside between Torela and Zarceler. Eben stood with his sword in hand as Cassiel climbed onto the roof after him.
‘Eben, run and hide. I’m going back down there to help Torela.’
‘I’ll come too,’ said Eben, not wanting to leave them to fight Zarceler and the soldiers alone.
‘No!’ said Cassiel firmly. ‘She wanted you out...’ His words were cut short.
The entire building started to groan and shake under their feet. A moment later it began to collapse around them. Cassiel managed to scurry across and grab onto the solid wall of the adjoining house, but Eben slipped backward over the edge. For a few moments he fell, completely losing control. His back struck the solid ground as a dust cloud from the collapsing building blasted out into the surrounding alleyways and lanes. He slowly got to his feet and picked up his sword. After a dazed moment he started to move down the alleyway and out of the dust. He could feel his left leg was aching and his head was throbbing from the fall. He turned and saw a great pile of rubble where Torela’s house had once stood. Cassiel was nowhere in sight.
‘Find them! I want them dead or alive!’ cried Zarceler’s furious voice in the distance.
Eben limped away as quickly as he could into the darkness and edged down through a thin gap between two buildings that opened up into a small square. He crossed the square and moved through a laneway full of waste and rotting food.
‘This way!’ shouted a voice from behind him. Eben looked over his shoulder and could see a group of soldiers in the distance. They hadn’t noticed him yet, and he glanced around for somewhere to hide. There was a wooden crate full of waste. He jumped in, covering himself as they approached. They passed by, not noticing the crate or the young man hiding within. Lying completely still in the rot and stench he waited until all was quiet.
After a short time he lifted his head and looked over the top of the crate in the direction the guardsmen had gone. The laneway was empty. He climbed out of the crate and started searching for a side laneway to escape. He found a long and thin alley that led back in the direction of the north gate. Dragging his aching leg he quietly staggered forward. The pain was also growing in the back of his head, and blood was dripping down the back of his neck. Shouting voices echoed through the lanes and alleys behind him. He hurried along and moments later the lane opened out onto the main street that led from the north gate back toward the palace.
He crossed the road and ducked into a back street on the opposite side. He gradually stumbled his way through a network of narrow lanes and alleys until he arrived at the docks. An icy wind blew across the docks. Completely exhausted he found the door of The Sea Dragon and almost collapsed on the doorstep as he struggled to knock. A few moments passed before Stella opened the door.
‘What happened to you?’ asked Stella, stepping out and gen
tly taking him by the arm.
‘Really, I’m fine,’ he said as he unsteadily made an attempt to step through the doorway.
A moment later Red was at the door. ‘By Teodric! Eben. You smell like rotting fish,’ he said, grinning.
‘This isn’t a time for jokes,’ shouted Stella. ‘He’s badly hurt.’
‘No really, I’m fine...’ whispered Eben as he started to lose consciousness.
Stella lay him down on the floor of the common room. ‘Get some clean cloth from under the bench in the kitchen! And get some water!’ Red’s smile disappeared instantly. He ran off quickly to the kitchen.
Eben looked up at Stella. She stared down at him; her green eyes full of concern for him.
‘Eben, you will be fine. Everything is going to be...’ Those were the last words he heard that night. Everything went dark.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eben awoke and looked around to find he was lying in his bed at The Sea Dragon. His head was bandaged, and he could feel his leg still hurt, but the pain had lost most of its sharpness. His body was covered in grazes and bruises, but he had been cleaned and washed. He thought back over the night before and the ill-fated meeting and wondered if any of the others had survived the raid. Everything had happened so quickly that he had no time to think. He pulled himself out of bed and slowly walked to the door, making his way down the stairs to the common room. Flickering firelight lit up the common room. Red was sitting next to the open fireplace warming his feet and hadn’t heard Eben coming down the stairs.
As Eben approached Red turned and looked up. ‘Eben, you’re awake. I thought you were never going to get up. You’ve been out for two days.’
‘Thanks for looking after me.’
‘You should thank Stella. She’s the one who cleaned you up. You must have lost a lot of blood. You have a mighty gash on the back of your head and a bruise on your leg bigger than any I’ve ever seen. Take a seat before you fall over again.’
Eben took the seat across from Red. He looked at the blazing fireplace and felt its calming warmth.
‘Where’s Stella?’
‘She’s gone out to visit a friend,’ replied Red as he looked back over his shoulder toward the front door. ‘So, what happened to you the other night? How did you end up all beaten up like that?’
‘I went to the meeting I told you and Stella about. It was about the evil in Ancora...’
At that moment the front door opened and Stella stepped in carrying a leather bag. She locked the door and approached them. ‘You’re up,’ she said, surprised. ‘Are you feeling better?’
‘Much better,’ replied Eben. ‘Thanks for taking care of me.’
‘You’re lucky you made it back here. If you had fallen over in the streets it would have been the end of you,’ she said as she walked by them and placed the leather bag on the bar.
‘At least you managed to gain us two extra nights here at The Sea Dragon,’ said Red, slightly chuckling. Stella glared across at Red and then walked into the kitchen without saying another word. Red didn’t seem at all troubled by her and smiled as he looked back over his shoulder toward the kitchen. Turning his head he glanced back at the fire. ‘That reminds me. Remember you said you had some silver.’ Eben nodded. ‘We probably should give some to Stella. I think she’ll let us stay a little while longer; at least until you’re completely well, but we definitely have to pay her something, and you’re the only one of us who has any money.’
‘Sure, I will pay, but I don’t want to be a burden on her. Maybe we should leave sooner rather than later.’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ replied Red. ‘She likes having us around.’ Red put his feet back up to warm them again.
‘She doesn’t seem to like you much.’
Red’s threw his head back and laughed. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course she likes me.’
‘Are you sure?’ asked Eben, not convinced.
Red didn’t answer. He watched the flames of the fire for a few seconds. ‘So, you were saying about your meeting,’ he said, changing the topic. Eben thought he probably shouldn’t ask about Red and Stella’s relationship.
‘Yes, the meeting was brought to an end when the house was attacked by a sorcerer.’
‘A what?’ cried Red, his eyes widening in shock.
‘They were discussing some very serious matters and the house was attacked. I made it to the roof in an attempt to escape. I fell when the house collapsed, and that was when I was injured, but I managed to escape through the back alleys and made my way back here.’
‘We did warn you. Getting involved in anything that questions the King is dangerous,’ said Red, taking an unfamiliar serious tone.
‘Red’s right,’ said Stella as she came back into the room from the kitchen. ‘He may be a bad king, but King Ignis is our king...’
‘He’s your king, Stella. Remember I’m Silvorian,’ said Red, lifting his chin proudly.
‘Actually he’s not a king at all. He’s an imposter,’ said Eben. Stella and Red froze.
‘An imposter!’ shouted Red, almost slipping from his chair
‘That’s what the meeting was called to discuss. The real King Ignis is imprisoned in a dungeon on the island of Zyran. An imposter sits on the throne of Ortaria. It’s an evil plot put together by a group of Zyranian wizards,’ said Eben. There was a stunned silence. Only the crackle of the fire made any sound.
‘Surely this can’t be true,’ said Red. ‘How can they be sure?’ Stella looked to Red and then her eyes darted back to Eben.
‘They believed it enough to put their lives at risk,’ said Eben. ‘And look what happened to me. I was lucky to escape. The authorities didn’t want anyone to get out. They want to make sure no one knows what I just told you.’
Stella looked to be deep in thought. A moment later there was a thudding knock at the door. Stella took a quick breath and anxiously stared across at Eben.
‘They don’t know where you are staying do they?’ asked Stella, whispering fearfully.
‘I don’t think so,’ whispered Eben.
They stood up and walked toward the door. Again the heavy knock rang out.
‘Who is it?’ asked Stella.
‘I’m looking for Eben. Is he staying here?’ asked a man’s voice from outside. Stella backed away, and she looked back at Red and Eben. Red signalled for her to reveal nothing.
‘There’s no one by that name here,’ she answered.
There was silence for a few moments. Suddenly the locked bolt of the door started moving and opening by itself.
‘Bloody magic!’ gasped Red, clenching his fists. Stella stepped back behind the young men. A moment later the door opened. Cassiel stood in the doorway.
‘Die Zyranian!’ shouted Red, instantly leaping forward. Cassiel lifted his hand and stopped Red in his tracks; an invisible wall barred his way. Red pushed forward but couldn’t move.
‘Red, he’s not against us,’ cried Eben. Red stopped trying to press against the barrier and moved back a little. Cassiel walked into the room and gently closed the door.
‘That’s the kind of bravery we need,’ said Cassiel with a slight smile. ‘I’m sorry to surprise you like this.’
‘Who is he?’ asked Stella nervously, glancing across at Eben.
‘This is Cassiel,’ said Eben. ‘He was at the meeting. He’s a wizard. Cassiel, I would like you to meet my friends, Red and Stella’
Stella and Red stared at Cassiel. It was extremely rare to meet a wizard in Ortaria.
‘You seem far too young to be a wizard,’ said Red, still upset that he had been restrained by Cassiel’s spell.
‘I’m an outcast. I never finished my training,’ said Cassiel, unperturbed.
‘That explains it then; you’re a dropout,’ said Red. Stella shot Red a disapproving look.
‘Yes, that’s true, but under the circumstances I’m happy to be a dropout,’ said Cassiel with a confident smile.
‘Would you like a drink?’ aske
d Stella politely.
‘Indeed I would,’ replied Cassiel as he casually took off his coat and hung it on a hook beside the door. They walked back over to the warmth of the fire.
‘I was worried about you, Eben. I thought you were killed in the battle,’ said Cassiel. Stella pulled up a seat for the young wizard.
‘He arrived back here in a terrible state two nights ago,’ said Stella as she went to grab a pitcher of ale from the bar.
‘What happened to the others?’ asked Eben.
‘Everyone who escaped through the back door was captured by waiting guardsmen. It was a trap. Torg and the others were taken to the palace dungeons. I expect they met a terrible fate.’
‘And Torela?’
‘I’m not sure if she made it out or not before the building collapsed. I managed to escape along the rooftops. I returned the next day to have a look around. The city guard were still searching the area, so I had to move on. I spent yesterday and today looking for Torela to no avail.’
‘How did you know where I was staying?’ asked Eben.
‘I had spoken about you at length with Torela earlier on the day of the meeting. She held you in high regard. She thought that you could help us in our struggle against the Zyranian Order. I think she thought you were special in some way.’
Red laughed and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back in his chair. ‘You should be careful, Eben. It looks like he wants you to join his rebel army.’
Cassiel frowned and took a sip of his ale. ‘There is no army, just me,’ he said coolly. ‘Everyone in Ancora who wanted to help was captured two nights ago. So if something is going to be done it is up to me to do it.’
‘So you’re going to free King Ignis yourself?’ asked Red.
Cassiel stared at Red for a long moment. He then glanced across at Stella. ‘I assume you and Stella both know what’s going on with King Ignis?’ Red nodded curtly. ‘Good. Eben trusts you. The enemy would kill you if they knew you were aware of the King’s imprisonment.’ Red was taken aback and scratched his chin nervously. ‘You are right, Red. I do need help. I’m working on a plan to free King Ignis, and I can’t do it alone. The enemy may have had an infiltrator at our meeting. They may also know some of my plan. If we’re going to free King Ignis then we should do it as soon as possible.’