“Courage is a word used far too often for my liking. It can be hidden within a mask of fear, or within the blood of a warrior. Some would say that courage can be encompassed by a selfless action under a blanket of danger. I believe that to strike fear into the hearts of men takes courage.
Let them try to take back their great city. I will be here waiting, searching for the weapon to wipe them all from the face of this planet. I swear that I will find that weapon, even if Derian cannot lead me to it!”
The bitterly cold night sent icy shivers through Aidan’s body as he made his way to the forest’s edge. His weary eyes scanned for signs of life along the path ahead which led to the still-lowered gate. Greenhaven was barely lit by the numerous small fires that still burned within. The Forces of Darkness swarmed in all corners of the city as if they were ants devouring a fallen bug.
Aidan knew well the secret entrance which led to the many sections of Greenhaven, including the royal chambers. To make it to that entrance, he would first need to cross the gate safely.
This will be difficult. I need a distraction. Thank the gods for Trisa’s gifts, he thought. He fumbled through his bag to search for an enchanted fireball scroll when he heard the sound of leaves crunching under approaching feet nearby. With his hand on the hilt of his sword, he hid behind the trunk of a tree and stood ready for battle. Aidan called out in a low voice, “Who goes there?”
“It is only me-Tusdar.” The master thief stepped out into view, the moonlight illuminating his presence. “I don't mean you any harm, Aidan. I have actually come to help you."
Aidan clenched his fists. “Help?” he snapped. “Of all the people in Marithia, I don’t need your help, Tusdar. Why don’t you go somewhere warm and cosy to drink yourself silly and leave the fighting to me?”
Tusdar let out a small chuckle. “I’ll ignore your insults. Surely you can spot a good deal when you see one, can't you? I may have a soft spot for a good drink, but there is something you don’t realise. I can get close to the wealthy under the guise of a drunkard, and they tend to boast about their items of value. I never actually got drunk-I just let them think that I was. I know I have a bad history, but I want to change all that, which is why I followed you here after you dropped by the inn for a drink. Come now, I’ll watch your back for you."
Aidan’s eyes narrowed. “Hold on a moment,” he said. “Are you saying that you have been sneaking in and out of people’s houses without a trace? How much stuff have you managed to steal? I hope you chose your targets with a conscience. What drew you to a life of thievery? And what did you do with all of your treasures?”
Tusdar looked to the ground and shuffled his feet. “I… I never stole from anyone who was poor. One of my greatest achievements was stealing a gold goblet from Kassina’s tower. That was a bold move on my part, but I never ran into her or her skeleton warriors. As soon as the war erupted, everything I took I gave away to the people of Marithia. I hope that it helps them stay alive. Come on! You can use someone with my skills, and I am a changed man.”
Aidan contemplated the offer for a moment, hesitated, then smiled and offered his hand. Tusdar shook Aidan’s hand and returned his smile with one of his own.
“Everyone does deserve a second chance, Tusdar-even you. But you should know that if I ever catch you stealing anything of value in Greenhaven, I will make it common knowledge that you are never again to be trusted-not even to take out rubbish or to clean stables. Do you understand me?”
Tusdar nodded in agreement and readied his bow, approaching Aidan’s position. “Fair terms to agree to, Aidan. So, what is your plan exactly?”
“We will take a secret entrance into the royal chambers,” whispered Aidan. He pointed to the east turret. “To get there, we have to cross that lowered gate, and somehow distract any Forces of Darkness watching it. I will try to send a fireball to the other side of the city in an attempt to divert their attention, which should give us a few moments to run across the bridge to that gate."
“Of course, if it works. And if you miss?"
Aidan stared at him and sighed heavily. "I cannot afford to miss. If that happens and we are discovered, then we have no choice but to flee. That is, of course, if we aren't captured by Kassina."
Tusdar's face turned serious. "Do what you must. I’ll be right behind you, doesn't matter what happens."
Aidan pulled out the scroll with the fireball spell and whispered the inscription.
“ Flamma attorqueatur. ”
His hands glowed and warmed with power as he took aim at the rear of the city.
“Extraordinary! I should use enchanted scrolls more often,” he exclaimed, just as the fireballs exploded from his hands and soared into the sky.
As the fireballs screamed their way through the city, Aidan could clearly see what looked like dig sites riddling the streets, each one thriving with activity. Skeleton warriors hammered away at the earth, tirelessly, under Kassina’s command.
The first fireball landed at an inn’s storage room, and exploded with a roar that thundered throughout the surrounding lands. The second veered off into the deepest dig site. The explosion sent countless skeletons’ bones rocketing into the air. Tusdar and Aidan looked at each other in disbelief at their good luck and burst into laughter.
“That will definitely get their attention. Run- now!” ordered Aidan. He charged toward the lowered gate as fast as his legs could carry him, with Tusdar following closely in his shadow.
“Stay close to me, and don’t draw any weapons unless absolutely necessary,” growled Aidan. “They reflect the moonlight and will give away our position.”
The men began their run over the bridge, their footsteps causing the bridge to creak. The city was busy with activity as the Forces of Darkness roared with fury over the explosions and disruptions. They looked to the sky in confusion, preparing for more fireballs to fall and taking cover wherever possible. The intruding pair caught sight of Kassina and Derian’s backs as they barked orders from their position in the parapets.
“All of you, get back out there and keep digging!” snarled Derian. “We must find Talonsphere at all costs!”
Kassina laughed with excitement as she sent her own fireballs randomly into the sky. She yelled into the night, “So, the great dragons have finally decided to stop by for a visit? How privileged am I? Show yourselves, you cowards! Allow me to give you a warm welcome to our city."
A trail of foggy breath trailed behind them as they gained on the end of the bridge; Aidan turned sharply to his right and almost tripped over himself as he fled towards the turret. He ground to a halt and Tusdar barely avoided toppling him from behind. Aidan's eyes narrowed and he placed his finger on his lips, pointing to the upper walls of the turret. There above them stood two skeleton archers, keeping watch over the path ahead of them, their eyes blazing red in the night. They aimed their readied bows aggressively, hunting for targets. One of them turned to the other and spoke in a dark language that sounded like guttural growls and shrieks. The sound of another explosion came from the burning inn, and the archers snapped around to look behind them.
“Quickly now,” said Aidan, running towards the turret. “Stay as close as possible to the walls!”
As they reached the wall, Aidan placed his hands on its cold golden surface.
“Tusdar, I need you to turn around while I-,” he began. His words were interrupted by an arrow tearing through his arm, and he howled in agony as the burning pain overwhelmed him. Steaming hot blood ran down his arm, and he fell to his knees.
Tusdar angrily brought his bow into position, ran in front of Aidan to shield him, took aim and released an arrow that hit one of the archers through its skull. The skeleton flew back and shrieked with annoyance as it smashed into the stony ground, clawing at its head desperately. The other archer scurried off to alert the others.
As Aidan looked over his arm, he heard the stones shift, and he felt Tusdar drag him inside and close the entrance behind them.
“Now, let’s have a look at that wounded arm, shall we?” said Tusdar. He reached up the wall and felt around for a lamp. Suddenly finding what he was looking for, he turned it clockwise and there was a strange bubbling sound. The fluids inside it mixed together, and the pitch-black darkness in the tunnel was suddenly lit with the colour of moonlight.
“Thank you, but…,” began Aidan as Tusdar removed the armour from his arm to reveal the wound.
“By the gods! We made it into the castle, I can hardly believe it. You mean, how did I know the secret entrance and how to use it? How do you think I managed to steal so many valuables from Greenhaven? By not knowing how to sneak in here and find my way through?” asked Tusdar with a cheeky smile. “I can handle lighting the way forward for us. These lights are everywhere in these tunnels. Now brace yourself as best as you can-this is going to sting a little. Okay, I lied, this is going to sting a lot.”
Aidan bit his lip and clenched his eyes shut. Tusdar snapped the head of the arrow off and eased the other end out of the bleeding wound. He quickly tied the torn clothes into a bandage, and Aidan grunted loudly as it was pulled tight.
“It is only a flesh wound and hasn't touched your bones, Aidan. It will be tender, but you will be fine. Now, where are we headed from here?”
Aidan's lips hardened as he stared into the darkness, “To the royal chambers.”
Tusdar's eyes widened as he took a step backwards, “You’re wounded, there are only two of us here, and you want to lead us right to the queen bee in the centre of the hive. Have you gone mad?”
Aidan got up on his feet, drew out his sword with his other arm and pointed forward into the waiting darkness. “Mad? Damn right I’m mad! Great victories are not achieved only at times of favourable odds and safety, Tusdar. When all seems lost, only the few who attempt the impossible can have a hope of achieving it. We have the element of surprise on our side, and there are secrets of these passages which I’ve found over many years of exploration."
Tusdar nodded warily, gripped his bow and breathed deeply as he imagined the horrors that might lie ahead of them. One heavy breath escaped him. "We’ll likely die here today, so why not? Let's pay the queen of the underworld a visit."
“That's the spirit! It will take us some time to reach her bedchambers from here,” replied Aidan. “Let’s go.”
Kassina gazed into the darkness surrounding Greenhaven and turned to the archer furiously.
“Where did you spot them? Show me!” she demanded.
The archer pointed to the now-deserted grounds beside the turret.
“And you let them get away?” she growled, as her nails slowly extended to razor-sharp claws. With a smooth motion, Kassina swiped through the skeleton’s neck and sent its skull flying into the air. The archer’s body disintegrated into white dust. She addressed the Dark Army with a voice that echoed throughout every inch of the city.
“Such incompetence will never go unpunished. Let that be a lesson to you all-if you fail me once, you don’t survive to fail me again, and I will send you back to Shindar to rot in the underworld! Keep an eye out for any intruders. Now get back to work! I am not to be disturbed unless you bring me news of our unwanted guests."
“Did you hear that?” laughed Aidan, as they climbed higher into the painfully narrow walls that led deeper into the turret. “Opportunities like this are rare, Tusdar. We made it inside the walls and they have no idea where we are!”
“I can hardly believe it myself, but getting in is one thing… Getting back out will be another story entirely. So, how do you know where we are exactly?"
Aidan pointed at a shiny and foreign object on the wall. As they closed in on the markings, they could clearly see an inscription before them.
Tusdar ran his fingers over the inscriptions, staring at them intently. “What does that say? I can't read any of the lettering."
“Of course you can't read it; neither can I. We are not centuries old, even though I feel that old at times. What you see before you is the language of the ancients. It doesn't matter, though: I do remember which inscription relates to which section of the city. These walls hold many secrets, and the inscriptions are enchanted with magic. Watch this.”
Aidan raised his hand and touched a series of the shining inscriptions in what seemed to Tusdar like a random order. They heard soft words within the whisper of an angelic voice that hummed through the walls. The engravings pulsated for a moment, then magically moved to a section of the wall, changed shape, and settled on a rough square of stones. They approached the wall and Aidan pointed to the right of the glowing square, where he grabbed Tusdar’s hand and ran it down the wall. He felt a round section which was smoother than the rest and vibrated under his touch. In the center of it was a horizontal cut, in the shape of a wave.
“Push the top half of the circle,” said Aidan.
Tusdar pressed the stone gently, sending waves of light pulsating into the stones. The square of stones slowly started to disappear in front of their eyes, revealing a barely lit bedroom before them.
The spent bodies of blood-drained victims could be seen lying lifelessly beside a four-poster bed drenched with fresh blood. Kassina was running her hands through Derian's hair, purring as she buried his face deep between her thighs. A twitching woman lay in the bed beside them, Kassina's fangs buried deep into her wrist. Kassina opened her jaws to release the woman's arm, and spoke with blood dripping from her chin. "Enough, I want you to dig deep inside her while her heart still beats! Now, my pet! Enjoy the feeling when she dies and grips you from the inside."
Derian climbed on top of the dying woman and forced his way inside her, grunting as he increased his pace. Her faint cries were useless against her captors. Kassina laughed as she sank her fangs into the woman's neck.
Derian tensed as death's grip tightened on her body and caused her to twitch uncontrollably. Kassina yanked him out of her and snapped, "Not yet! Save that moment only for me."
She threw him to the bed and harshly straddled him, wriggling herself around like a snake poised to strike. His grey hands with their sharp claws reached high on her naked back and tore rents in her skin with pleasure. Kassina’s dark moan filled the room as she pushed down harder on Derian, taking him as deep as he could go.
Aidan and Tusdar stared as her skin resealed itself almost immediately after it was cut open. Kassina and Derian continued in their passionate embrace, and she suddenly turned to look behind her as if she was looking straight at them through the wall.
“I can't believe that we are watching this. Can she see us?” asked Tusdar, before watching her turn her attention back to her lover.
“Of course she can’t see us,” Aidan whispered, as he stared at the lust-fuelled sight in front of their eyes. “The gods smile upon us today for this opportunity. Imagine a one-way mirror, if you will. They cannot see or hear us, but we can walk or shoot through it. We only get one shot before we give away our position, so we need to make it count. Now, I know this will be hard, but you must try to concentrate."
Derian sat up to embrace Kassina tightly and they remained in that position, seemingly lost in the heat of passion, her body tensing with every thrust. Her moans of pleasure and serpentine hisses filled the room and sent chills down the spines of Aidan and Tusdar. Aidan reached into his bag and pulled out a long silver arrow that bore glowing blue markings.
“Use this and shoot them straight through the heart,” said Aidan. “It is the only way we can kill them, as an arrow won’t cause a wide enough wound to cut their heads off. I would do it myself, but I can't hold a bow. We can take them both at the same time if we are incredibly lucky-or skilled, for that matter. The arrow was gifted to me by a healer and is made to tear through the toughest of stones and keep flying. It will not stop until it is drained of magic.”
Tusdar took the arrow in his shaking hands and placed it into his bow. Aidan mumbled words into the arrow that activated the magic within. It burst into blue flames that were surprisingly cool to the touch, lighting up their faces in the eerie blue light. Beads of sweat dripped through his vision as his heavy breathing attempted to settle his nerves. His heart pounding through his chest made his aim waver uncontrollably.
“Come on, Tusdar… try to relax, and take a deep breath. Then, gently breathe out to guide the arrow home."
Kassina’s moaning increased in pitch with the quickening rhythm of her body. Tusdar followed Aidan’s advice, and re-steadied the bow beside his cheek. The blue flames licked at the image of the two vampires as they made love.
Tusdar pursed his lips and his voice broke as he stared intently at his target. “They’re moving too much, I can't… I can't do this."
“Take your time and shoot when you are ready. You have to do this-for all of us, for Marithia. You can stop this war today,” replied Aidan.
As Derian and Kassina were reaching their climax, Tusdar exhaled, growled and fell backwards as he released the arrow. It whirred through the wall at blistering speed.