Thunderspire By Emily M. Hanson
Part 2
* * * * *
Back in the physical realm, Neteilu swallowed the wine, relishing the sweet flavor. He approached the window and gazed out at the stars, searching for something. "Ah! See that, Lady Torana? That red star is the dragon's eye. Its ascendance is very fortuitous."
She nodded. The red star only appeared once in every 3 years, even though the constellation appeared regularly in approximately the same position every summer. No one knew why. Some astronomers thought it might be another world like their own, but many scholars criticized that position. "You will be victorious, my King."
"Indeed." He yawned and turned to her. "Well, it seems that I grow weary. Join me in bed."
She nodded. "As you wish, my Liege."
An eternity seemed to pass while Torana endured Neteilu's advances before the wine took effect and he finally fell asleep. Relieved, she relaxed in bed and stared at the window, wondering when the assassin Zebyl would come. Torana pondered what she would do after Neteilu was dead. She was not the rightful queen. Given the circumstances of Neteilu's rise to power, her rule would be questioned. Perhaps it would be better to simply hand over power to the rightful heirs. She could live out the rest of her days as a lady of the court. That wouldn't be so bad.
Several long hours passed before the shadowy form of the cloaked assassin crept through the window, making no more noise than the soft breeze that blew through it. Zebyl noticed Torana's gaze as he studied the room carefully, looking for any signs of traps. He did not find them. Stealthily, he glided towards the bed and withdrew a dagger. Its blade dripped with dark poison. There was an onyx stone set in its hilt and several runes carved into it as well. Torana did not recognize them. She watched as Zebyl brought the dagger down swiftly.
The onyx gem pulsed with an ominous dark light. The air around Neteilu's skin began to shimmer and pulse as well. The magical Shadowblade, a very rare weapon that Zebyl had purchased for just this occasion, was doing its work and eliminating the sorcerer's many protective wards. However, it did not prevent him from noticing what was happening. Neteilu woke from his stupor with a gasp.
Torana looked frightened, for she was very much afraid of her husband, but was able to think clearly enough to pretend to be startled. "What's happening? Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"You would dare murder me?" the sorcerer roared. "No common assassin will strike me down! I am the future emperor of the world!" Neteilu let loose with a crimson energy blast, the same spell that he had killed Torana's husband with.
Zebyl had the wind knocked out of him, but because of the Shadowblade's protective properties, he remained conscious. His dark blue eyes gleamed like ice in the night as he watched Neteilu prepare to cast another spell. He knew that he had but one chance to remain alive. It was a slim, but he'd survived on slimmer chances before. He aimed the Shadowblade carefully. As Neteilu was about to finish the spell, the assassin hurled the dagger towards him.
There was a flash of light as the dagger disrupted Neteilu's spell and shattered the rest of his protective wards, striking him in the chest. Zebyl scrambled to his feet and ran towards the window. He leapt out as Neteilu pulled the dagger from his chest. It was thick with blood. Torana screamed for the guards, which she was expected to do under the circumstances. Arrows began to fly through the air while Zebyl hastily scrambled down the rope he'd left. Well, he'd done the best he could. The rogue knew that he was lucky to be alive.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of crackling energy behind him, saw the glint of crimson light reflected in one of the garden fountains and ducked, but it was too late. Zebyl cursed under his breath as the fatal blast hit him. His last regret was that he would not get to enjoy the rest of the money Torana had promised him.
Neteilu was furious. Who would dare attempt to kill him? No doubt it was Torana. She had been plying him with flattery, hoping to catch him off guard. He saw through her lies now.
"You," he bellowed at his wife. "How could you do this?"
She gaped. "Me? My Lord, I would never…"
"No one else would dare hire an assassin. You are the only one with access to enough gold to pay him. No assassin would try something so risky without suitable payment. Guards, seize her!"
"No," Torana protested as she was led away to the dungeon. "I am innocent!"
"I have had enough of your lies, wench," Neteilu shouted. "You can rot away, for all I care!" Fuming, he decided that he would execute her. It was the only fitting punishment for such a crime.
* * * * *
In the dark and gloomy dungeon, Torana barely heard someone else breathing in the cell next to her. Once the guards had locked the door, they'd left her alone. She decided to find out who her fellow prisoner was.
"Who are you?" Torana whispered. "What did you do?"
She heard a cough, then a reply. "Balen Talbrand. I am…was…the Wanderers' leader. That despicable sorcerer threw me in here after we lost the battle. Who are you and what was your 'crime'?"
Torana took a deep breath, knowing that this man would probably hate her. "I am Lady Torana. I tried to have my husband murdered. Instead, he killed the assassin and had me put in here. I am sorry for what has happened to you. I fully expect you to hate me. You have lost your people because of my husband and me."
There was a surprised gasp. "Hate you? My Lady, what you have done was very courageous. You are lucky to be alive."
She nodded. "I'm certain that my husband will have me hanged as an example to others. I will probably not be alive for much longer."
"You are most likely right, but let us hope that is not the case. There must be a way to get out of here."
"How? If we escape, Neteilu will just have us killed anyway."
"I know. If only there was some way to let Jay Arrowstrider know where we are, I'm sure he'd try to get us out. There must be a way to get a message to him. I do not think he was taken prisoner, but rather allowed to leave with his brother and the rest of my people."
"If only I knew something about magic."
"I had a powerful staff, but it is gone. Ravyn Arrowstrider has it now. As if it would do him any good. The staff has bonded to me, and will be mine as long as I live. Only a sorcerer could break that spell and bond it to someone else. I don't think Neteilu has done this. No outsider knows about the spell, and only a few of our people do."
"We'll have to think of something else, then." Torana closed her eyes. She was tired, both mentally and physically. She needed to rest to gain back her strength.
"Yes," Balen agreed. There had to be a way to escape. If only he knew what it was.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, at Thunderspire…
"This is truly amazing," Aliya exclaimed. "I cannot believe that we are here."
Trin nodded. "Indeed, this is truly a realm of magic, not unlike my home."
Seeing the sadness in Trin's eyes, the girl said, "You'll be able to go there again."
The faery smiled. "I know."
Fenrek sighed. He looked bored. "Why don't we start questioning the guards? They ought to know who might be responsible for the assassination attempt."
"I'll go with you," Kip said. The dragon in human form stood up.
"What about the servants?" Trin asked. "Rumors might provide us with some useful information."
"Good idea," Fenrek replied. "You and Aliya can ask them."
They split up in search of answers, hoping to uncover the truth so that they might return to the world they knew.
* * * * *
Belas Bluestorm, the captain of the Sky Lord's guards, was not completely surprised when the two visitors entered his office. He knew about the assassination attempt, of course, and also that the Sky Lord was using the visitors from the world below to get to the bottom of it. The air elemental resembled a human figure, though in the shape of a cobalt-blue cloud. Occasional sparks of electricity could be seen within the cloud form. His eyes were a deep shade of indigo.
There was a table made of silverwood, a type of rare wood that was very strong and occasionally used to make storage chests in the physical realms. Here, it seemed commonplace. The beds in the guest chamber had also been made of it. The wood itself was light gray and appeared silver when light shone on it. The air elemental did not use a chair, but simply floated in a cross-legged position.
There was a white candle with a purple flame providing light on the desk, and several scrolls were scattered about. A large crimson feather had been placed in a jar of ink.
"Ah, our visitors. What can I do for you?"
"We'd appreciate it if you could answer a few questions," Kip began.
"Very well. I assume you're here to inquire about the traitor?"
"Yes. What exactly happened? How did the assassination attempt take place?"
"It was at a banquet approximately five days ago. The food had been poisoned. Luckily, our food tester discovered the poison before it was too late. She is currently in the infirmary being treated by healers. The cook and other staff members have been questioned, but none of them know anything useful. I suspect that someone snuck in and poisoned the food while no one was watching."
Kip nodded.
"Do you have any suspects?" Fenrek asked. "Have you questioned them?"
"The Sky Lord does not have many enemies, but there is an extremist faction which believes we should cut off all contact with other realms. Currently we have very little communication with your own, but we do have allies in the elemental plane of water and fire. The Sky Lord is particularly close to Ania Stormstar, Queen of the Water Realm. There are rumors that they are secretly courting, but they have not been proven."
Belas paused for several moments, lost in thought, and then continued, "The leader of this faction does not reside here in Thunderspire. He has a base somewhere within this realm. His name is Calduris Fogweaver."
"Where can we find him?" Kip inquired.
"If I knew that, I'd have had him arrested and interrogated myself. However, one area my guards have been searching is the Stormy Wilds. It's an area known for producing unpredictable tempests. Most of our people stay clear of it. The storms are dangerous."
"Where is it?" the dragon asked.
Belas picked up one of the scrolls on his desk and unrolled it. "This is a map of our realm. You're welcome to borrow it." He pointed to an area in the northeast. "The Stormy Wilds is here, but I wouldn't go there unprepared. You'll need some protective magic." He looked at Kip. "I'm sure you won't have any problems with that, though, being a dragon and all."
Kip nodded. "I'll take care of it."
"Good luck." Belas looked forward to interrogating Calduris himself after all the trouble that the rebel had caused.
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