Red Wizard

                 Red Wizard

                                                             J.D.Hayes-Canell

The Trio

A warm drizzle and muted sun didn’t deter the shoppers in the great square of Xelah-Arn. Only midmorning and already the streets were aswarm; a bustling mass of humanity bent on it’s own interests.

Korvus shook his head, flipped up the oiled leather hood from his tunic and timing himself between a pair of wheeled slave drawn kanirs bearing passengers and a heavily guarded wagon on iron ore, darted out into the street.

The markets, commonly referred to as “The Dealings” were mobbed. It was loud with that muted roar only mass shoppers can make.

Hopping over puddles Korvus wound his way through the narrow streets and alleys until he came to a barber’s shop. Predictably he shuddered when passing the pole of stained bandages, the rain washed blood trickling down to form a small pool at the base.  A rat paused in drinking from the poo;, glaring at the human intruder as Korvus walked by, groomed it’s whiskers and resumed drinking.

A young man sat in the chair which faced the mirror, staring into his own reflection; the polished metal mirror’s visage was warped from age and too much polishing.  When the sun struck it at noon the room would grow hot as an oven. The pasty skinned youth held a shaving razor loosely in one limp hand; his face was slack jawed and you could see bald patches through his stringy greasy ash blond hair.

Pausing a moment to admire his sculpted cheekbones, curling black hair and bright hazel eyes, one of which he winked at himself with a smirk, Korvus called out;

  “Nilo, Nilo!” There was no response, not the flutter of an eyelid.

Korvus strode to his side.

  “Nilo!” As he shook him his head fell flopped towards him, slowly the eyes closed and the sallow skinned youth let out a deep sigh.

  “You’ve been using the black lotus again haven’t you!  How many times have we told you to stop.  You’re endangering all of us. It won’t be just you that hangs!” 

Nilo opened his eyes, they were completely black, the unnerving result of black lotus intoxication.

  “Fool!” Korvus yanked Nilo from the chair, the razor clattering to the floor, slung him over one shoulder and carried him behind the grimy stained curtains in the back. Dumping Nilo on one of his  own operating tables, Korvus sat on another, grumbling.

Someone entered the shop. Hearing the foot falls Korvus leaped up, one hand on his dagger, and went out to investigate.  The woman standing in the center of the room would draw attention if she were in a burlap bag; her hair so dark a black it showed blue and sometimes violet highlights, skin tanned to a golden hue, deep brown eyes slanted just so. Unlike most women, she foreswore dresses and gowns and wore altered versions of mens clothes. Needless to say “proper” women of Xelah-Arn, especially the upper crust. would never associate with such a creature.

This allowed Kirinso Koino a great deal of freedom, it also brought her some deal of derision and occasionally physical attacks from her male counterparts.  For all her swagger, she felt a great loneliness.

  “Koino, greetings.” Korvus sighed with relief.

  “Is he blacked out again?”

  “Nice choice of words,”Korvus smiled.

She remained stone faced. He led her into the back room.

  “Yup. We should just slit his throat with that damned razor of his. Make it look like suicide and be done with it.”

  “I keep hinting, but Talya won’t say either way. I think she’s worried that a sudden death might be noticed by the City Watch and she wants no undue attention.”

Korvus just grunted and threw a bloodied sheet over Nilo’s face.

  “Let him sleep it off, c’mon.”  The let themselves out, locking the front door.

Worming their way down the street Korvus snuck glances at his companion. She was older than him but not by much. There was a small scar beside her right eye, nearly hidden by her hair.

She was wearing a tunic of spring green, a brown leather cloak lined with rabbit fur, the leather side oiled against he weather. Her leggings matched her tunic, only a shade darker, her boots were shapely but functional. Her only ornament was a pin holding her hair, it was so dark a green as to appear black and looked like a fan of pine needles.

A light pack and quiver of arrows thumped her back. IN her right hand he carried a seven foot longbow, which she cradled on occasion.

She finally snapped her gaze on him as he peeked once too often.

  “What you want to know is my father was a Zimrabellan merchant, my mother came here with a group of her people through the Jaliharad mountain caves from their homeland on the other side, a land called Tokoku,” her proud demeanor impressed Korvus, however the conversation he attempted was cut short.

  “Turn away!” she turned her back sharply and grabbing his shoulder, spun him around and propelled him into a tent full of fabrics. Once inside they turned to see if they’d been spotted.

  “What was it?” Korvus whispered.

  “A pair of Agitors in a kansa pulled by temple slaves.” 

Agitors were the nightmare of every criminal or ne’er-do-well in Xelah-Arn. A militant arm of the Temple of Mythras, they were said to possess powers bestowed upon them by the god and were mercilessly strict when it came to enforcing the law.

Korvus  and Koino slipped out of the tent and angled away from the kansa, merging with the bustling crowd, keeping their heads low and faces hidden.

They stepped up onto a covered porch, shaking the rain off their cloaks before they walked into a store.

A bell attached over the door rang. The pair froze, slashing glances all around to see if they drew any attention. Seeing nothing odd they entered. A man and a boy were rummaging through a bin of goods against the wall while the owner, his back to them, hunched over a work bench, dangerously near his head sputtered several candles and a hanging oil lamp.

The store smelled of burnt oil, metal leather and sweat and was as weathered and shabby as it’s owner.

  “I’ll be right with you,” muttered the man as he tinkered with several slender instruments. There was a click and he sat back with a laugh.

  “Never thought I’d open it did ya?” He shook a finger at the lock.

  “Good old Arny, thought I couldn’t do it, well that’ll be a good twenty silver in my pocket come the morrow!”

Remembering his customers, he spun around on his stool, grinning.

Korvus leaned forward and said in a low voice;

  “Akan t’Bêor said to say hello.”

The older man paled, the grin dropping like a stone, he trembled.

  “Its...its been a long time.” His eyes eyes shifted from one face to another, he began to sweat.

  “I have a silver locket who’s hasp is broken.” this from Koino who showed him a silver locket.

  “The silversmith is down the street!” He protested, “Why are you here, there’s supposed to be four of us, where’s the barber?” his voice became shrill.  Koino slapped him in the mouth.  The man and boy looked up at the sound, at a glare from Korvus the man grabbed the boy by the shoulders and hustled him out the door. 

  “Idiot! Why not just go shout it in the streets!”

The tinkerer stepped back, passed a hand the back of his hand across his swollen bleeding lip.

  “Our friend has dosed himself with black lotus again, it will be ours before he recovers so we are exposed right now and must take care.” Koino said.

  “We came to warn you, nothing more.”

  “But what about...you know?”

  “You’ll be told when the time is right, just be ready to move at a moment’s notice and stop being such a fool!”

The pair turned and stepped back out in the the warm drizzle.

Korvus grinned as he spotted the boy and man in the alleyway, shivering at his glance. His left arm twitched their way and the pair took off blindly.

Neither Korvus nor Koino noticed the short nondescript man in the hooded grey  cloak slinking behind them in the rain, nor the rippled wave int he air following him.

N îlo groaned, rolling onto his belly, he was shocked awake an instant later when something cold flat and heavy slammed on top of him.

A groggy second later made him realize he’d fallen off his operating table and onto the floor.  Further examination showed his legs and feet were tangled in a bloody sheet which he struggled to kick away.

Struggling up, h passed a trembling hand across his face, if felt crusty, skin scratchy, his eye burned, his mouth tasted like the midden smelled on a hot summer day after having eaten spoiled food.  He hawked and spat, didn’t help so he staggered to the sink with it’s indoor pump (an expensive modern convenience) and worked it until cold water gushed out.

Sticking his head under the flow he scrubbed and drank, rinsing and spitting until he felt a little cleaner, on the outside anyway.

His eyes had stopped burning, but the bruised purpled look around them didn’t fade away this time, making them look like two white lights in a cave.

He worked the pump again and again until he drank his fill, yet still he thirsted. Pushing himself away from the sink Nîlo staggered towards the door. Night had fallen.

Although most people were behind doors at this hour, kanas and porters still bore the well-to-do through the streets, those who could not afford to ride walked, but all were hustling home before curfew.

A Captain of the Guard rode by on a sturdy chestnut horse; he bore a standard showing a golden bull on a white background. He was followed by a squad of me-at-arms, all in armor, all afoot; people strove to get out of their way, those who didn’t were knocked down or shoved aside. They were out hunting for “wrong doers” and those who consorted with them.

Nîlo stretched and yawned, picking up his razor from the floor where it’d fallen, he deftly slid it into it’s holster and went outside.

Instantly his psionic defenses arose, it was almost an afterthought, something he did by habit, and he searched for his companions and one-by-one shielded their minds, linking them together through him. All of them were instantly aware of him.

Weakly Nîlo walked down the street until he came to a small tavern; The Brass Buckle. He made himself unseen and waited beside the door. Soon a group of drunken revelers came by and headed in, slipping in behind them, Nîlo stood in a corner to search for the others.

Korvus watched while Koino bested two men at darts. Before him lay a leather pouch holding a small pile of silver and gold coins and a pair of small emeralds. At her final throw both men snarled something coarse. The red headed one banged his fist onto a table, the other turned away in disgust.  Smiling, Koino strode gracefully over to the table, scooped up the pouch and sat down. The red head scowled and joined his angry friend at another table.

  “Care for a game Korvus?” she asked as he joined her.

  “Not me, I’m lucky if I can hit the chamber pot in the morning, I wouldn’t 

   stand a chance against you.”

The pair ordered drinks and Koino set one up for both the losers, the red head glared at her, but accepted the drink and gruffly waved the tavern girl away.

Korvus reached for his cup, it moved an inch away. Startled, the man yanked his hand back.

  “Make no outbursts. I’m beside you,” came the cold tones.

Slowly the gaunt figure appeared beside the table.

  “Nîlo, about time you showed up.”

  “Welcome back to the land of the living. It’s a pity you’ve made it.” Koino sat back scowling, arms crossed.

  “I’ve dreamt things strange and terrible.”

  “I’m sure you have.” Korvus smirked

  “I can’t tell of all that I’ve seen, much made no sense and was confused.”

Koino scoffed “A normal dream that’s just a dream, I’m shocked, what an 

  accomplishment for a Master of the Mind!  In case you weren’t aware, all 

  dreams are confusing, out of focus and generally make no sense.”

  “She’s right, y’know, most dreams are, well, dream-like People come and 

  go, some show up without clothes, animals talk, that sort of thing.”

Nîlo stared at them.  “You don’t understand, these things are never precise, I 

  can only tell you what I can interpret and the interpretations can be 

  wrong.”

  “Sibyls and prognosticators have been wrong for ages, nothing new there.” Koino continued to regard him coldly.

  “So what is it that you may or may not  have interpreted correctly?” Korvus sipped from his mug and raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

  “Yes, Nîlo “the Great”, enlighten we poor mortals with your arcane and 

  gods-sent wisdom.” Koino clapped her hands to her heart and batted her eyelashes coquettishly.

  “It starts out dark, dawn is just breaking, the temple bells ring with a dull 

  and plodding sound.  From countless doors spring men in red 

  vestments...Agitors.  Each bears a spiked cudgel and a broad grin, the 

  swarm through the streets opening doors that had remained closed, 

  dragging forth screaming men, women and children. They begin 

  methodically clubbing these people, smashing their heads and shouting 

  ‘Impure thoughts! Impure thoughts!’ That’s when I wake up.”

  “Sounds like too much...” Korvus mimed smoking a pipe.

  “No! I know when they are real! I’ve demonstrated this before, don’t be a 

  fool, it’s coming!”

A sour look on her face, Koino says:

  “Okay, what’s coming?”

  “The Night of Silent Screams.” He shuddered and hugged his scrawny wracked body.

  “That sounds ominous.”

  “They will come in their hundreds to take away or kill any one who has 

  psychic abilities, those who aren’t enslaved will be killed, any who dare to  

  oppose them, psychic or not will become enemies of the Temple and suffer 

  the Wrath of Mythras. Beyond that, is a man, tall he is red, he is black, he 

  is not of our world, he is near and he is far.  I can’t quite see him, his mind 

  is closed to me but mine is  opened like a wound before him.  He knows I 

  am here and he is waiting for me.”

Koino lurched to her feet, “Ridiculous. Clean yourself up, you smell like a 

  dungheap on a hot day! No one needs to see you, they can smell you from 

  across the room!”

She spun on her heel and was out the door.

With an apologetic look at Nîlo, Korvus followed her out into the night, caller to her.

The woman stopped in the alley and began pacing and waving her arms. A few drunkards and other night people gave her casual glances and moved on.

  “I can’t stand that ‘know-it-all’ attitude of his, it’s obnoxious, it’s rude, 

  it...it...”

  “Makes you feel stupid?” Korvus finished.

  “That too.” She glare at him. “He’s not always right, you know this, yes?

  Look at how many false alarms there have been, look at how many tight 

  corners we’ve barely squeezed out of! Where does it stop?  I don’t know if 

  I want to continue with this, it’s a waste of my time, I never should have 

  joined!”

Korvus clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes bugging with fear. He hustled her deeper into the shadows.

  “DON’T say it!” He hissed.  “They’ll ‘hear’ you, even with his protection, there’s a good chance they’d know somehow.”  He released her. “Think of something else!”

She sighed, sagged, shrugged.

  “Shigata ga neh.” she murmured.

  “What?” Korvus said looking around nervously.

  “It means ‘what can you do’, or ‘it doesn’t matter’.  We need to move, we 

  need to get this job over with. Regular jobs I can handle, but this one is 

  making me jump at shadows, dealing with a Mage is a bad idea.”

  “You just can’t shut up about it can you?”

Koino  stared at him, forehead wrinkled, squinting.

  “Maybe Nîlo’s right; I feel like a rabbit when something big is hunting it.

  After this one lets lay low for a while, maybe get out of the city, head down   

  to Kharinar for a few months, whattya think Koino...Koino?”

She  stared past him down the alley, face locked in a rictus mask, only her eyes moved frantically back and forth, a muscle twitched along her jaw.

Following her gaze Korvus saw a small elderly woman with mouse brown hair, arms folded, a look of serene contemplation on her face.

  “Shit!” snapped Korvus.

Nîlo emerged from the shadows.  The woman’s face never changed expression, but her eyes widened a little.

  “Nîlo, I think she...”

  “Shut up fool, let me concentrate or we’re all dead!”

Nîlo frowned, tilting his head towards the woman. They remained stone faced, the only sign of effort were the rivulets of sweat running down their faces.  Tense moments passed. Koino sagged against Korvus and he eased her to the ground.  She drooled and her eyes stared about aimlessly.

Veins bulged out on Nîlo’s head like worms crawling beneath the skin. The woman’s eyes grew wide are blazed red, her face was crimson and her hair lashed around like it was alive. Nîlo grew purple in the face, his hair stood on end, he quivered like an epileptic, eyes were glowing argent lamps. Suddenly he collapsed in a groaning heap, drooling and near senseless. 

The old woman had vanished.  Korvus checked Nîlo briefly.  Still breathing.

He dragged him next to Koino and raced silently to the end of the alley drawing a pair of throwing daggers, a third in his teeth.He reached the spot where the woman had stood.
Nothing.  Peering around each corner he saw the backs of both the buildings with their modern outhouses and a fly swarmed pile of refuse. A tall fence enclosed the paired yards with a worn path between the two buildings.

Korvus returned to his friends who were just rousing. Koino staggered to her feet, bracing herself against the fence.

  “Did you get her?”

  “No, she’s gone.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.  She could be anywhere by now.”

They turned to Nîlo, who groaned and struggled to sit up.

Helping him up Korvus tsked disgustedly. As a result of his convulsive fit in the battle with the woman, Nîlo had wet himself.

  “Go home and clean up. We’ll be at the Buckle.”

T he bustling city of Hennu was still active even though the sun had set two hours before. Known for it’s abundance of water and the open mindedness of the population Hennu was a haven for those outside the law. It had a brisk trade and was one of the larger Gohavaran cities on the caravan routes from west to east, receiving goods day and night, thus the trio were able to slip in unnoticed.

Gwailyn Myyr had gone ahead of them by two days and had rented a room in which he stewed, wringing his hands and jumping out of his skin at every noise. Here the trio rested from their journey in a small dirty tavern. Once in their room they began their routine; Korvus silently moved about the room checking for spy holes and areas of acoustic “funneling”, Koino did the same, shutting the narrow window and covering it with the scrap of dusty curtain which she pinned into place with a small throwing knife. The room quickly grew hot and thick with stale air.

In truth it mattered little because the walls were so tin it was easy to hear the muffled conversations of people in adjoining rooms.

Nîlo stood in the center of the room and concentrated, turning in a slow circle, eyes closed.

  “We’re clear.” he husked.

The other two relaxed slightly and removed their traveling cloaks. Koino produced a small paper fan from somewhere and began to fan herself.  

Not ten miles away lay Theylyx and the Tower of the Red Wizard, it loomed in their minds and was never far from their thoughts.  

Nîlo rummaged around in his backpack for a moment and produced a trio of ceramic amulets, each bearing a pale blue crystal in the center; he put one on and handed out the other three.

  “Here, these will help protect you from being scanned by all but the most 

   powerful Psions and I believe most magics.”

  “Even a Wizard’s scrying?” Korvus eyed the thing dubiously, letting the crystal catch the fuzzy light coming through the gauzy curtain.

  “Unless he possesses something personal of ours and he’s looking for one of us specifically, we should remain unseen.”

  “And if he is looking for us specifically?” Asked Koino

  “We’re probably dead anyway...or worse.”

Koino sneered; “What could be worse than dead?”

  “Undead, under his control, or dominated by one of his pet Psions, still possessing all of your faculties, but trapped in a tiny part of your mind, and forced to do the bidding of someone else until they release you or you die.”

The trio stared at Gwailyn Myyr.

  “What? You hear rumors of it all the time!”

Nîlo shuddered, the thought of being so enclosed terrified him.

  "I couldn't stand it, I'd go mad for sure!"

  “Do you always have to be so dramatic?  I think those years with the 

   traveling Actor’s Troupe has rubbed off on you.” Korvus smiled to take the sting out of it, but Nîlo blushed all the same.

Gwailyn Myyr squeaked with fright, breaking into a sweat.

  “I didn’t sign on for this. Breaking into a Wizard’s lair is bad luck at the 

   very least, I have a wife and three children to support!”

  “Quiet!” Koino hissed, glaring at them.

 “It’d be just our luck to have the amulets work, but your big mouths get us into trouble!” The men glanced at each other, shrugged and sat down; Nîlo on a rickety woven cane chair, Korvus of the wide lumpy sack of a bed and Gwailyn Myyr against the wall, slid to the floor.

From his backpack Nîlo produced a small folding tripod, at it’s base was a candle holder with a stub of candle, hanging above that was a metallic looking chunk of stone suspended by a black thread. Fumbling with a flint and steel he managed to light the candle and leaned forward to watch the growing flame reflected in the metallic lump.

  “Please be still. I must seek a vision of the future, with luck I can divine the 

   safest path for us.”

He left the chair and knelt before the tripod, concentrating.

Koino  crossed to the other chair, another cane woven seat with a wide rounded back. It creaked alarmingly in protest and she had the decency to blush when Nîlo shushed her.

The frail Psion slumped over the tripod gazing at the  shimmering hematite, the jumping candle flame, his eyelids grew heavy and drooping until they were mere slits, the dancing yellow-red flame reflecting behind them. He eyes slowly closed. Exhaling deeply he flung his head back, a silver aura surrounded him and his fists clenched, nails digging into palms.

Koino rose, heading towards him; “Don’t touch him!” hissed Korvus, motioning her back.

Nîlo settled back onto his legs, bending them painful, his blanched face in a rictus of awe. For several agonized moments the pair watched the stricken Psion.

  “Korvus, his face is turning blue!” she whispered.

  “I see it.”

Nîlo’s body began to quiver, rocking back and forth; with a shriek, he inhaled, gasping ragged breaths and eased his bloodless legs into a comfortable position, stretching out prone.

  “Gods preserve us!” Husked Gwailyn Myyr.

Koino offered Nîlo a water skin. The four of them were drenched in sweat.

  “Thanks.” grated Nîlo gulping thirstily. A few moments later he sat back in his chair.

  “I saw an eye, a great blue eye and it burned with raw power. The eye was 

   held in the upraised palm of a red hand.  A raven came and carried off the 

   eye. There was a voice; it claimed that ‘the Eye will seek out it’s own’ and 

   then it cried; ‘Hugrljoss! Ni∂rged! Fró∂leikr vili deyja! Fró∂leikr 

   mor∂víg fólk! Fró∂leikr Wotan halda dau∂i!’ I saw a red power unleashed, a white flower floating on water, it’s petals bloodstained by many corpses that surrounded it. The corpses were being fed on by crows. In the beak of one crow was a sapphire. It toyed with the gem, tossing it,  looking at it’s reflection in the water. Seeking the second gem in the reflection, it dropped it’s own gem, losing them both in it’s greed.Lastly I saw the sands of the desert bury this city and all who dwell 

   therein.”

  The trio stared at each other in silence.

  “Do you know what it means?” rasped Koino.

  “No, only the last, the city being swallowed by the desert.  I kept feeling 

   waves of bitter cold and there was the sense of an icy calculating anger 

   surrounding the eye.”

Korvus began to pace, tapping his teeth with a forefinger.

  “I recognize some of those words, can you repeat them?”

  “Hugrljoss! Ni∂rged! Fró∂leikr vili deyja! Fró∂leikr mor∂víg fólk!

   Fró∂leikr Wotan halda dau∂i!”

  “ Fró∂leikr, hmm, fró∂, I think it means magic. The words sound like 

   something the Confederates to the north use; deyja is death, to die, fólk is 

   folk or maybe people.”

Nîlo mused; “Magic, death, magic, people, magic. Not much to go on.”

  “Wotan is a hero or a warlord of something and dau∂i is another word 

   for death or die.”

  “The Confederates are a gloomy people.” said Koino.

  “Not widely known for their sense of humor, I’ll give you that.” Korvus agreed.

  “So this Wotan’s magic is deadly? To whom, the people? What people, the 

   Confederates or everyone?”Gwailyn Myyr looked at Nîlo.

    “No way.” Nîlo said raising his palms towards Korvus. “There is no way 

   I’m going up north again, never again!”

  “We don’t even know if we have to go north, your vision could just being 

   making a reference, pointing out that there's something terribly wrong, 

   potentially evil and life threatening in the north.”

  “Yeah, the Confederate barbarians, their White bears, their furry 

   elephants, white lions, snow, ice, glaciers. No thank you!”

  “You liked the little fat birds that swan but couldn’t fly.”

Nîlo took another long swig of lukewarm water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “I truly do not know all the meaning behind the vision, it is the way of it. I’m only guessing but the ‘red power’ could mean the Red Wizard. Something happens that causes him to unleash his power. The floating bodies are connected to his image. apparently after this atrocity the sands cover this city. Perhaps he destroys it somehow or causes the population to leave.”

  “What if it’s us?” Koino, arms crossed, stared at them.

  “What if it’s us who causes him to destroy the city?”

  “Koino, we don’t even know if he does.” Nîlo replied.

  “That’s true, all we know is a red power is unleashed, it could mean 

   anything, and not the wizard at all.” said Korvus.

  “Like what?”

  “Fire, a volcano, the sun, maybe their wells run dry and they have to leave.

   Red Power could be red for blood, it could be desert bandits putting the  

   city to the sword, they’re as bad as sea pirates!”

Koino regarded Korvus with a wry smile.

  “I thought you wanted to be a pirate?”

Korvus dropped his head and muttered something under his breath.

  “What? What was that? Nîlo, did you hear something?”

  “Not a telepath, sorry. You’ll have to speak up there Korvus.”

  “I said, I tried to join once and they threw me out!”

The others burst out laughing and quickly covered their mouths, muffling their guffaws.

  “Shut up.” this brought on more muffled laughter.

  “Quiet!” Instantly they froze. Nîlo stared at the door his eyes pulsing with silver light. Silently Korvus and Koino got to their feet.

The door slammed open startling the men standing behind it, both were holding dagger, one dropped his in surprise as a shuriken embedded itself in the door jamb beside his ear, the pair fled.

  “Stop them!” Nîlo hissed, Koino was out the door, Korvus squeezed out the window and started climbing.

The pair of thieves wormed their way through the crowded common room. Koino was close on their heels but unable to catch them. A group of drunken Carroraldan soldiers dancing a folk dance with their arms linked together cut her off. When they tried to force her to join the dance she slammed the nearest one to the floor causing several of his linked brethren to collapse. She bullied her way to the door in time to see the pair run down the street. She sprinted after them, the rising moon showed her pale shadow against a wall. Abruptly she came upon the men. Standing beg=fore them, making lazy circles in the air with his rapier stood Korvus.

  “I was wondering when you’d come to join us.” he drawled.

  “We shouldn’t do this here.”

  “You can’t touch us, see!” Squalled the shorter man, he pulled up a sleeve and revealed a tattoo of an intricate knot in red and white.

  “So”, said Korvus, “What’s that to us?”

  “It’s the mark of the Guild of the White Knot, they have eyes everywhere.”

  “Do they, why were you spying on us?”

  “We weren’t spying, we were robbing you.”

  “Pretty shoddy job I must say, from a professional standpoint.”

Nîlo emerged from the tavern.  “Take them into that alley.”

The duo were quickly hustled into a back alley and pressed against a wall.

Overhead clouds began to gather silently blotting out the stars, shrouding the moon.

From a pouch Nîlo pulled a delicate crystal disc threaded with a pair of thongs, he put it on, tying the thongs behind his head.

  “I want you to relax, this will only take a moment. he murmured to the first thief.  The man flinched and tried to pull away, but the point of Korvus’ rapier kept him still.

  “Don’t!  hey’ll kill me, they know everything!”  Nîlo touched the man’s temple, the thief stiffened and gasped, a look of shock on his face.  The crystal disc pulsed with a sick violet light, as did the tips of Nîlo’s fingers, then Nîlo pulled back.

  “Kill them.” he whispered. “They know too much, they work for him.”

Koino and Korvus shared a glance, they didn’t ned to ask who ‘He’ was.

  “But..ugh.” the first thief said as eight inches of steel pierced through the roof of his mouth and into his brain.  Koino grabbed the second thief’s head in both hands and broke his neck. They hid the bodies under a trash heap and headed back to the inn.

  “We’ve aroused suspicion.  The thieves had watchers who will report them missing, someone will come to investigate.”

  “Why can’t we just tell the truth? Two men broke into our room, we chased them off.

  “The truth, hmmm.” Korvus mused, looking pensive and stroking his chin in what he thought was an intelligent manner.

 “You look like such an ass when you do that.” Koino observed.

  “I don’t know about this truth thing, I don’t deal well with it myself.”

  “Yes, we know. Long is the line of broken-hearted child-bearing ex-maidens in your wake.” snapped Nîlo.

  “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” said Korvus

  “Enough, both of you!”

  “Ouch, mommy spank.” Korvus smirked and wagged a finger at her. Koino snatched it and bent it backwards. With a cry Korvus dropped to his knees in helpless agony.

  “You wretched little shit! This is serious, you need to grow up and face it! This is our lives and more on the line, not some piddling little robbery!” She  flung him to one side and rounded on Nîlo.

  “I surrender, you’re right, we do need to be more serious. We’re in terrible danger and will probably not survive for very long even if we succeed.”

  “My hand! Nîlo, she broke my finger, I won’t be able to use my bow or hold a sword!”

  “It’s not broken, just dislocated. Here.” Koino grabbed his hand quicker than he could react and wrenched his finger around then let him go.

Korvus convulsed into a ball around his offended hand, and wailing into his belly.

  “Mythra’s tail, you’re such a baby. All men are.”

  “C’mon.” Nîlo led them back towards the Inn, Korvus scrambled to his feet and followed, sucking on his swollen knuckle.  A a breeze picked up, rattling the trees, blowing damp and chill.

  “It’ll rain tonight.” though Korvus, sparing the clouds a glance.

They trio stopped a ways outside of the Inn,  the door to the common room was ajar. Not too far away a drunken patron had decided the outhouse was too far too walk and weaved back and forth as he relieved himself into a gutter.  Nîlo closed his eyes for a moment then touched Koino who vanished instantly.

  “Why are you staring at me she husked.

Nîlo touched Korvus.

  “What happened to Korvus?” she hissed and grabbed Nîlo’s sleeve

  “Me, what happened to you?”

Nîlo, now invisible as well, grabbed their hands. The drunk turned and stared in their direction, saw nothing, shrugged and went on peeing.

  “Quiet, we’re all invisible, just stay silent and we’ll be alright.”

He took Koino’s hand and put it in Korvus’, then took Koino’s free hand in his and tugged.

After a few fumbling minutes the trio slunk past the drunk and entered the common room. While the wove their careful way through the crowd Korvus noticed a man standing alone by the fireplace. His clothes were maroon red and black, with matching boots, his face was long, sporting a thick bronze colored mustache and a goatee; his long hairy fingers curled around a steaming glass of pale liquid. The pair locked eyes briefly and somehow Korvus knew the man saw him.

He pushed against Koino and whispered; “I think someone just saw me.”

Koino leaned in towards Nîlo.

  “Faster Nîlo, Korvus thinks he’s been seen!”

He pulled in response, now forcing his way through the crowd and finally made the stairs.  In the din no one could hear the stairs creak and they made it  to their room where they promptly became visible again. Korvus slammed the door shut, wedging a chair against it and taking a position facing it, rapier in his lap. The other two did like wise.

  “Oh great Mythras, what’s happening now? Are we being attacked?” stammered Gwailyn Myyr

  “Sit down  over there, away from the door, let us handle this.” Korvus replied.

  “Oh, I knew I never should have come, I knew it!”

  “Shut up or I will shut you up.” Koino promised.

Gwailyn Myyr gave one last squeak and clamped his mouth shut, clenched his eyes closed and sweated.

Rain slashed through the open window, Nîlo got up and closed the shutters.

Realizing he still wore the crystal disc, he removed it and placed back in it’s deerskin pouch.  From somewhere else in the room came a monotonous ‘plunk-plunk’ of water dripping into a bucket. Predawn light softly shown through the gauzy curtain, the four sat bleary eyed staring at the door like it would burst in at any second. Of course, it didn’t, and one by one they fell asleep.

At that moment a figure appeared like a ghost from childhood out from under the bed. dressed in a dark maroon tunic and pants, swathed in a black cloak with a red fur lining, hair of lustrous bronze. He gaze over the four people briefly and fixed on Korvus silently he waved his hands over the prone thief then backed away, becoming one with the shadows agains and vanished.

Hours passed, dark clouds had rolled in, bringing the winter rains. A loud clap of thunder shook the tavern, Koino woke up and saw her sleeping companions slumped where they’d sat.  Nîlo slept with his eyelids barely open; it gave Koino goose bumps every time. She shook them both awake.

  “We’re dead.” she said stone faced.

  “We’re what? Was I sleeping?” Korvus glanced around and began to stretch.

Nîlo sat up with a start, a string of drool  hung between the bedpost and his cheek.  Absently he wiped at it, Koino shuddered and turned away.

The trio staggered to their feet, peering around the room and checking themselves for missing items.

  “We’re still alive.”Gwailyn Myyr said.

  “Brilliant observation.” Nîlo said dryly.

  “Nothing appears to be missing.” from Koino. Somehow they found that troubling.

  “I dreamt of the man downstairs.  I was so sure he saw me and...I was 

   afraid. Not just scared, or with the thrill of being caught, but frightened to 

   the bone.” Korvus met their eyes.

  “What man downstairs? What are you talking about? Have we been spotted? Shouldn’t we go back home now before it’s too late?” Gwailyn Myyr was nearly wetting himself in fear, his teeth fairly chattered.

  “Do you think it was him?” said Nîlo.

  “If it was,” said Koino, “and he was aware of us, why didn’t he kill us, or do 

   something to stop us?”

  “Maybe he did,” Nîlo replied, “and we just don’t know it yet.”

  “Either he doesn’t know what we’re up to, orrr...” Korvus mused.

  “Or he knows we’re no match for him, or he’s setting a trap.” Finished Koino.

  “Probably several. He’s a wizard, they’re not easy to catch off guard or kill. 

   If that was him downstairs, and I can’t imagine who else it would be, we 

   should assume that all his defenses are up and that he may have come just 

   to get a look at us so he can scry us from afar. In any case, we probably 

   won’t survive this.”

Koino crossed her arms and glared at the floor. Korvus walked over to Nîlo and clapped him on the back.

  “Look at it like a challenge. If we can do this, every guild in Gend will be 

   begging for us to join, it’s a dream come true!  We’ll be like royalty, we may even get to be Guild masters!”

The Psion gave him a withering glare.

  “Terrific. Nothing I’d like better than to hobnob with snotty nosed brats all day who think that no one’s ever grown up except them. No one knows what kinds of problems they have and no one understands them! Oh boo hoo!” He buried his face in his hands and pretended to sob.

  “Korvus, I’d rather die than become a teacher.”

  “Point taken.  We need to get ready, we’re doing this tonight.”

By dusk the trio had gone on several small errands and met back at the inn.

Gwailyn Myyr sat at a table near the fireplace looming over the remains of a large meal, wiping his greasy hands on anything that would serve as a napkin.  Nîlo was next to him nursing a glass of cold tea. Koino and Korvus joined them, the pair hanging their dripping cloaks on pegs near the fireplace to dry.  The rain pelted the shutters and the dull roar of it drenched the rooms usual noise whenever someone opened the door.

  “I’ve bought four horses.” Nîlo said by way of greeting.

  “Not those broken down nags we saw tied up out front?” groaned Korvus.

  “They’ve just got to get us there and back, not run a race.”

Koino snorted; “They’ve just got to survive the trip here and back and I 

   doubt they will!”

Nîlo scowled, slumped against the back of his chair and crossed his arms.  “They’re fine!”

  “Fine, they’re fine!” She turned to Korvus. “He says ‘they’re fine’; the great 

   horseman has spoken.”

  “Shut up Koino, they’ll have to do for now. Maybe we can find something 

   better later on.  I’ve filled the water skins and packed food.”

  “Packed food?”said Koino.

  “Yes. In my experience, you should always pack some food. The gods only 

   know when you’re going to need it and if you’re on the run, you need it.”

The trio’s mood soured even more, if that were possible.

  “C’mon, lets get this over with before I have a chance to think about it.” Koino was halfway to the door before the other three were out of their seats.

Few noticed as they rode out of town, facing into the rain. They headed northwest towards the verge of the Wahpeton jungle and Theylyx; home of the Red Mage.

They caught faint glimpses of the moon rising through the storm clouds by the time they entered Theylyx. The horses plodded along, rain pouring from their flanks and withers, heads hanging, looking more starved than when they’d left.The cries of jungle birds arrowed at them through the heavy night air, and the occasional pair of green eyes in the darkness watched them from brush and branch.

  “They sound like madmen laughing.”Koino said shivering.

  “The cries of the damned.”

Nîlo and Koino regarded Korvus.

  “The bird that makes that sound.  The Jolradeen, well some of them, believe that those who’ve turned their backs on the gods and spirits of the jungle, when they die, become those birds and only when the birds die, if they’ve somehow made up for their past mistakes or show signs of true repentance, are allowed into paradise in their human form.”

They stared at him from under dripping hoods.

  “You see, if they don’t make amends they’re doomed to keep being reborn as birds or animal, that’s why so many Jolradeen keep pets.  They feel they’re providing them with the opportunity to go to paradise.”

  “And if they show such a sign?”

  “They’re immediately killed before they can recant or make some other 

  blunder.”

  “How utterly stupid!” exclaimed Gwailyn Myyr

 “Well, what if it was your father or mother, or an aunt or uncle?”
  “How would you know?”

  “I don’t know?”
  “Stupid.” Koino looked at him contemptuously.

Korvus pulled a map from within his jerkin and unfolded it, holding part of his cloak over it to eep the worst of the rain off.

  “The central fountain is that way (pointing down a wide boulevard). We 

  should leave the horses there.  The Mage’s keep is not much further.”

Nîlo’s brow was furrowed and his eyes glowed a pale silver.

  “There’s no awareness of our presence so far.”

They  stopped at a stable that seemed somewhat reputable, and after some fierce haggling, stabled the horses. They armed themselves and merged with the night, padding their way to the keep.

There was a bad moment when six drunken soldiers, spoiling for a fight happened on them. Nîlo went invisible while the other three vanished into the darkness. The befuddled soldiers were suddenly set upon from behind by Korvus, Koino and Gwailyn Myyr with saps (Gwailyn  had to smack one of his men twice) and Nîlo suddenly appeared in their midst faintly outlined in the rain, his large bloodied razor in one hand; at his feet lay a sprawled soldier with blood pumping from his throat.

The soldiers were dragged behind a building where they were relieved of their valuables and their clothes.  Dressed as soldiers the four continued on, keeping as out of sight as possible until they came to a stone wall with a heavy iron gate. Mounted on either side of the gate was a large shield bearing a red mountain on a white plain.

  “No guards, that’s a good sign.”

  “Wait.” An hour passed.

  “Should we try to get in now?”asked Nîlo.

  “Not until we’re sure the guards have passed.”

  “Shouldn’t they have passed by now?” said Gwailyn Myyr

  “Will you two shut up! For thieves you jabber too much!” Koino’s voice pierced them in the darkness, even at a whisper.

There was the crunch of footsteps on gravel and the four froze, willing the guards not to see them. A quartet of armored me rounded the corner, a pair of them in red livery and a pair in temple red and gold with the sickle and wheat sheaf symbol of Mythras embroidered on their cloaks.

 “A pair of Agitors, Set take them!” Nîlo hissed.

One of the Agitors paused and turned his head, scanning the area. The four watched, fascinated and unable to move. The other Agitor called his name and the soldier-priests moved on, returning to their muted conversation.

The trio sighed with relief.  Emerging from the shadows Korvus silently beckoned to the others who followed him crouched and scurrying to the base of the wall. Koino quickly removed her sword, unwrapped the black cord that was tightly wound around it and fastened one end to a ring. From somewhere she produced a broad metal hook that popped open with a faint “spang!”, becoming;

  “A grappling hook!” whispered Korvus with a smile as Koino tied it to the other end of the rope, wove a black silk cloth around the prongs with a deft motion then whirled the rope around a few times to get the weight of it and tossed the muffled hook to the top of the wall.

Unnoticed by the trio, Gwailyn Myyr walked down to the gate, pulled a slim case from his belt pouch and removed some slender tools from it.

After making the rope fast, Koino wedged her scabbard between the wall and the ground and scaled up to the top and crouched motionless; Korvus was next. Nîlo made two futile attempts but slipped and fell both times.

Frustrated, Koino hissed down;

  “Tie the rope around you, we’ll pull you up, and so help me. if you lose or damage my sword or scabbard I will skin you alive!”

 Between the three of them (Nîlo was the least help) they managed to get the Psion to the top.

  “Where’s Gwailyn Myyr?”

  “Down here.” Came the hoarse whisper from behind them.

They whirled in alarm and there stood Gwailyn Myyr on the other side pf the wall.

Korvus and Koino dropped silently but Nîlo scraped his arms and legs scrambling down, trying not to make too much noise and failing.

  “”How did you get in here?” Demanded Koino.

  “I...I unl...unlocked the gate.”

  “Are you crazy?” Hissed Korvus. “Didn’t it occur to you that a Wizard may 

   have traps or alarms set on his gates?  You just let everyone in there know that we’re here! Brilliant, just 

   brilliant!”

  “Korvus, let me kill him! No one will know, we can say the Mage did it!”

  “Stupidity like this will get us all killed, but before that, I’ll hold you while she hurts you and then we’ll leave your wounded caracas where they can find it.”

Gwailyn Myyr swallowed and wiped a dirty handkerchief over his face, nodding nervously.

  “You’re here because you’re the best lock-pick around, don’t get yourself killed by doing something stupid.”

They slid along the wall in silence seeing little of the outer Keep except a blank wall.  Koino tapped Korvus on the shoulder and  pointed up.  He looked, squinting against the rain, solid wall for one story; on the second were the only windows to be seen, and those were heavily shuttered.

  “Okay “Master-thief”, how do we get in?”

  “It’s a magician’s place, maybe the entrance is magic, look around?”

  “For what? We’ve been completely around this place.”

  “I dunno, something ...magical.”

They finally stumbled across a narrow path they’d previously missed in the downpour; as silently as they could they crept along it until it reached the outer wall of the Keep.

  “No sign of a door swinging out either way.” muttered Korvus on one knee beside the wall as he scanned the ground.  Koino paced five feet out to either side of Korvus, keeping a sharp eye out for for guards.  Nîlo pulled a deep green crystal from his pouch and pointed it at the wall, suddenly he stopped, slowly turning his head from side to side and faced away from his companions, letting his eyes lead him, his senses guide him as he probed the whole area.

  “Problem.” he stated flatly.  The thieves spun about, a rapier in Korvus’ hand, a trio of shuriken in Koino’s. Gwailyn Myyr grunted in fear and crouched down on the ground, quivering.

 The sound of several creaking wagons approached and broke into view a moment later, they each bore swaying lanterns on poles swinging above the horses who drew them.

The thieves scurried as far out of sight as they dared.  The wagons, which were piled with boxes, bags and crates of food and water,stopped ten feet from the wall; the lead wagon driver produced a large bronze medallion from under his cloak and pointed it at the wall.  With nary a whisper the wall vanished and a wide opening appeared. The drivers jumped down and began fussing with the horses, leading them into the stables, wagons creaking and groaning behind them.  The four thieves bolted for the opening, slipping in unseen and unheard. 

z

The Keep

They were greeted by a wide well lit hallway in finished stone. Off to their left came the faint sounds of the wagons and horses being dealt with, at the end of the hallway, through an elaborately carved archway they could seep a rising spiral staircase. To their right a door stood ajar and muffled voiced could be heard.

Korvus crept tot he door and peeked, ducking back quickly.

  “Guards.” he whispered.

  “Let’s keep moving .” came Nîlo’s not-quite whine, “There’s more in the room by the stables.”

They moved on down the hall to a second door, pausing as Korvus pressed an ear to it. He eased it open and everyone froze as it shrieked like a banshee. When no one appeared to notice, they all began breathing again.

  “It’s a pantry, it’s full of dried stuff, jarred food, preserves.” They left the door ajar and continued on, passing the next door which promptly swung open. The stunned group flattened themselves against the wall in time to avoid being spotted by a pair of men in studded leather armor bearing the red mountain crest of the wizard on their breast.  Each man carried a crossbow and was otherwise lightly armed. They stopped in the hallway for a moment, muttering to each other. One shook his head and they went to the opened guard room door.

The four thieves tiptoed through the archway and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Which way to we go?” Husked Koino.

  “This place is bigger inside than it is out!” Said Nîlo with awe in his voice.

  “Nîlo, you’re an idiot! Of course it is, it’s a Wizard’s home!”

  “Thanks Korvus,  another bit of brilliant observation on your part.”

  “If you ask me, we should go up...or down.” said Gwailyn Myyr  

  “What?”

  “Wizards, from what I’ve read either put their serious stuff on the top floor 

   of a tower or bury it underneath.  This makes it somewhat inaccessible to 

   anyone except him.”

  “Y’know, he does make sense.” Korvus muttered. The group looked around, there were  two other doors  to be seen. The sound of approaching footsteps decided Korvus.

Pointing to one of the doors he said

“Go!” He opened the door, holding it for the other three, closing it on Gwailyn Myyr’s heels as the guards came through the archway.

The room was pitch black.

The feet tramped past and faded down the hall.

They jumped in alarm as a voice out of the darkness said:

  “I see we have intruders, three...no, four of you. You are poorly shielded my brother.”

There came a gasp from Nîlo an instant before he crashed through the door. Light flooded the room and the trio could see a small man leaning against a large wing back chair.

Their lips pulled back in horror and disgust, where the figure’s eyes should be were a pair of pus-yellow balls, in the center of which floated a cataract veiled pupil of yellow-green, the eyes off-center in the sallow hairless head slugged above a ragged hole where the nose once was and that above a slack lipless mouth full of long brown stained teeth, each carefully honed to a sharp edge.

  And now for you.” In his hand was a longsword with a faint violet aura, it hummed through the air as he swung it.  Three shuriken whizzed by Korvus’ head as he drew his rapier; the first struck the small man in the left shoulder, the second was brushed aside by his sword, the third changed direction mid flight and flew back at the group.  Gwailyn Myyr gave a squeal and slumped to the floor.

Korvus leapt and a solid wall of force drove him back, sprawling on the floor and knocking the wild out of him.

Koino eased past him, her ninjato out before her like a feeler. The figure rose from the chair and began circling her. Despite his misshapen face

he was small, lithe and his body was normally shaped. They crossed blades, there was a sizzling sound, sparks flew and she knew the metal of he lade was no match for his, so she made it dance in her hand, thrusting, jabbing, slicing, always attacking even in retreat. From the corner of her eye she saw Korvus struggling to his feet and a crowd of armored guards clattering up behind him. She stumbled over Gwailyn Myyr and the man lunged, her parry nearly cost a her a hand; the onslaught of the misshapen man wouldn’t let her drop her guard and she began to sweat. A loud crash erupted from somewhere behind her and Koino winced at a particularly good series of blows he rained down on her. A small object rolled under her feet, she skittered around trying to keep her balance another marble rolled between her legs. Realizing what they were, she threw an arm across her eyes as the twin marbles burst into showers of brilliant white sparks, all striking the misshapen man.

With a loud cry, eyes tightly shut, Koino leapt into the air, bringing her sword down in an argent blur, sweeping across her foe.

The warrior woman watched the two halves of the misshapen man slump to the ground.

She turned and watched Korvus and Nîlo dispatching the guards who, for some reason,  were lying on the floor. They dragged the bodies into the now darkened room laying them on either side of the doorway. Anyone looking in wouldn’t spot them at first glance.

Gwailyn Myyr had to join them, the deflected shuriken had caught him in the left eye and the poison killed him instantly.

  “Hope we don’t need a locksmith.” muttered Korvus.

Using a small hand held torch Koino and Nîlo began to search the misshapen man’s body.

  “My gods! He was armed to the teeth!” Nîlo exclaimed.

  “With what, a rock collection?” Koino said as she handed several to Nîlo

  “No. Psions store power in them, use them  to focus our abilities or tap into the powers stored within them. These crystals are very powerful weapons.”

Looking over a length of near perfect rose quartz, Koino asked; “Can you use them?”

  “I don’t know, some of them, perhaps, but most are tuned to a different type of psion.”

  “How many kinds are there?” She whispered.

  “Not now.”

He pocketed the crystals while Koino took a quick look around the room and found a stash of weapons; she tossed Nîlo a short spear, took a bow and a quiver of arrows. Cautiously the skulked up the staircase, expecting to be caught any second.

  “How could we have made that much noise and almost no one notices?”

Korvus whispered.

As though in answer, from downstairs there was a dull shuddering explosion and a billow of smoke. Several people could be heard coughing.

The trio froze, peering behind the ornate stair rail. the scene was pandemonium; several young men and women boiled out into the hallway, a few ran out of sight and returned shortly with buckets of water.

A tall thin woman brandishing a bamboo cane came into view and began lashing several of the students, shouting at them in a strange tongue.

The trio took the opportunity to continue up the stairs.

They came to a circular landing with a polished birchwood railing. A scintillating chamber greeted them, the light from numerous candles in sconces and a lone crystal lamp hanging from the ceiling painted them in rainbow hues.

In the chamber on glass shelves stood countless bottles, stoppered vials and containers all made from glass or crystal, a few appeared to have been carved from single large gems and those reflected the most light.

Nîlo and Koino eased past Korvus and peeked through another doorway.

  “It’s all crocks and stoneware in here.” She slapped Nîlo’s hand as he tried to pry the cover off of a wide crock bound in brass wire.

  “You don’t know what’s in there.”

Drawing his hand close to his chest, he made a rude gesture at her when she was’t looking. She jabbed him with a dagger like fingernail, he jumped and huffed, flapping one wounded hand, but making no other noise.

 Ironclad feet could be heard stamping up the stairs, Koino and Korvus were staring aghast at Nîlo, who’d managed to drop the brass bound ceramic rock he’d been looking at earlier, which promptly shattered with a resounding crash.

A cloud of purple and orange smoke filled the room, billowing outward then exploded into a white hot blaze; Nîlo shrieked as he burst into flame and the trio were blown off their feet.

Korvus, tossed through the rippling air and burning dust, thought he saw a massive human like creature coalesce from the flames just before he struck the wall and knew nothing else

  

z

Atjimi Barhushan sat quietly in meditation. His mind expanded as he strove to understand the mystic underpinnings of the universe. A loud crash and me shouting brought him out of is reveries. He gracefully swept his hands through the air, summoning a vision. As though peering from a distance he could see 

Captain Xunna and several of his men enveloped in purple-orange smoke. Just beyond them sprawled three strangers, one aflame, was rolling on the floor. The smoke coalesced, collapsing in on itself and a figure began to form; tall, horned, red of flesh and flame eyed with talons black as night at then end of it’s crimson hands.

With a thunderous bellow the efreet was upon the soldiers, rending, crushing and burning, when they were dead, it stood and shouted;

  “Atjimi Barhushan I am free! And now you will know pain both unendurable and unending!”  

The mage arose from his seat, dismissing the vision and paused a moment in thought.. He ran to a chest which opened at his command and pulled out several items. The chest’s lid slammed shut as the wizard dashed towards the door which opened and closed behind him. As he sped along he mentally summoned his Psion slaves, a simple spell likewise summoned the Magi at his command; the groups converged in a wide room near the rampaging efreet’s location. Flashing a glance at the group the Mage asked;

  “Where is Delman Thah?”

  “He is on guard duty on the first floor m’lord.”

The Mage frowned a moment.

  “I sense nothing from him, we can assume he is unconscious or dead. In either case these intruders have much to pay for.”

The Pisons exchanged looks, wondering who was going to become the next favorite of the Master and receive the benefits of his teachings.

There was a brief silence then came the loud huffing breath of the efreet

  “ Atjimi Barhushan come out and face me else I tear down your pretty tower around you and burn it to glowing cinders!”

In the next room the Mage swiftly laid his plans handing out a few items to the mixed crowd. They just as swiftly dispersed, the the mage straightened his robes, summoned his utmost dignity and strode through the thick door to face the fiery genie.

Surveying the damage and the loss of guards, the Red Mage frowned.

“I had hoped we could be allies Aasim, but you are too treacherous  a creature.”

  “Was I not the one imprisoned? and you deign to tar me with the brush of treachery!”

 While the Red Mage argued with the efreet, his minions silently positioned themselves. A pair slid through a door holding a large gilded mirror, a second pair stood at the top of the stairs (trying not to look at the torn, smoking remains of the guards), one concentrating, the other gesticulating, the others made their way near the scene of carnage and began their preparations.

 Grinning, the efreet raised his hands, there was a whoosh as he was engulfed in flames of scarlet and gold. Screams came from several places, the mirror was dropped as one of it’s handlers became a torch, the other was yanked off his feet by the weight of the thing, took one look in it and was sucked into it as though through a straw. The mirror wavered on it’s edge for an instant then fell with a crash. There was an ear piercing crystalline shriek followed by the crumpf of a heavy explosion, filling the air with dust, burning debris and the raucous laughter of the efreet.  Cool night air poured in through a jagged crack in the tower and stars could be seen in the now cloudless sky.

Flames burst again from the efreet scattering and crackling amongst the wounded and the dead. Korvus, just regaining his feet was sent sprawling by the exploding mirror through a thin wall into an adjoining room.

He lay senseless on the floor. One of his small belt pouches gave a twitch. Then again and opened the tiniest bit and a thin dark brown stream of smoke snaked forth wrapping Korvus from head to toe in it’s coils. Jerkily his eyes opened, he sat up stiffly from the waist, eyelids fluttering, eyes racing back and forth spastically. He gained his feet in a wooden way; the coils unwrapped him, gathering above his head in a brief form of a moth then dissipated. He began taking halting staggering steps

 towards a flickering blue light brighter and clearer than any candle. His eyes rested on a white crystal orb shot through with a web of hair thin occlusions, seated within it was a disk of deep piercing blue.The whole thing was big as an apple and somehow fascinating to watch as it hovered one foot above the table and slowly revolved. Korvus reached a shrinking hand towards it, afraid to touch it, but unable to resist.

The orb paused in it’s rotation to regard his approaching hand and pulsed a brighter blue. Startled, Korvus jumped back, but when nothing further happened he tried again, gingerly cupping it in his hand.

The orb was warm, there was a scintillating sheen to the red threads that made his hand tingle. 

A shock ran up his arm, making his hand clench around the orb, the blue disk within it continued to regard him in a frighteningly intelligent way.

The shock drove through his shoulder and into his brain, all his muscles constricted, his face a rigor of horror and anguish, his mind blanked out.

Gradually Korvus came to, his muscles were relaxing, he was drenched in sweat and felt like throwing up.

A low whimpering and the stench of nearby burning flesh brought him around. Through the shattered wall he could see Koino’s out flung arm and Nîlo’s smoking clothes.  

  “I hope it’s his clothes.” he thought.  Producing a pouch, he slipped the orb into it, tying it securely and then crouched down on all fours.

Reaching slowly, he managed to grab Nîlo’s pant leg and began dragging him out of the efreet’s sight.  Nîlo continued to whimper, but his eyes were rolled back in his head and was obviously unconscious.

Once he had Nîlo inside, he went for Koino.  She was laying where she fell, eyes slitted open; she looked at him. They froze as the efreet confronted the Mage, but once his attention was turned, Korvus grabbed her sleeve and yanked her out of sight.

Through the hole they could see the efreet turn a few more apprentices into barbecue. 

  “They should run while they can, the fools!”

He glanced at Koino,”They just stand there casting spells, I don’t know if they’re brave or stupid.”

Through the scorching air they could just make out a tall figure in scarlet robes brandishing a wand.

They were shocked when a pair of twin girls simply appeared next to them, stepped through the hole in the wall and stood facing the efreet’s vermillion back. One produced a wand who’s tip began to shimmer with an emerald brilliance, while the other raised her hands and waved them gracefully, while whispering something.

The Efreet, in response hurled a gout of flame which engulfed them, singed Korvus as he scrambled back out of the way. Through the hole they watched the girl with the wand’s hair burst into flames and her head become a glowing cinder as she was snatched up by the efreet, who leered and hurled the flaming corpse at the Mage, who ducked and cursed as his spell casting was disrupted. The other girl wailed briefly as she became a living torch, staggered a few steps and fell to the floor.

  “Nîlo’s bad off, he may not make it.” Korvus bit his lip as he looked over his burned friend.

  “Go through his pouches.” She began to riffle though Nîlo

‘s things until she found a pair of identically sealed silver bottle, each imprinted with the bull’s head crest of Mythras.  Breaking the seal on one, she tilted Nîlo’s head back and poured the stuff down his throat.

His superficial cuts and burns vanished, Nîlo began to stir and groan as the potion worked on him, slowly fusing the cracked and charred skin. blood welled in several places as the skin began to regain its normal pink coloring.

His eyes fluttered open and he winced.

  “Oh gods I hurt all over.”

  “Consider the alternative.  Can you walk?”

Outside the efreet bellowed and another gout of flame threw macabre shadows on the wall.

  “I’ll try.” They helped him to his feet, a cloud of smoke and ash billowed through the broken wall. They made their way coughing and sneezing through a doorway.

  “The stairs!”

Before they left, Koino stopped and dropped a small pouch, attached to it was a leather tag embossed with a yellow star.  

  “What’s that?” said Korvus.

  “A diversion.  If the place doesn’t burn to the ground, the Mage or one of his minions will find it.  It’ll send them on a wild goose chase.”

They slowly traveled up the spiral stairs ending up in a small room with staircase leading to a trap door in the ceiling.

  “Korvus, those will take us to the roof.”

  “Better than in here.”

  “Not if the tower’s on fire!”

  “Dead end”. wheezed Nîlo.

Korvus shrugged and half carried half dragged Nîlo up the stairs.

The tower creaked alarmingly and a huge crack snaked it’s way across the floor behind them and up one wall.

The muffled shouting of the efreet  and Mage were frighteningly close.

Black smoke curled under the door and Koino could feel it growing hotter at her back.

  “This floor is on fire, if we go up we’ll be trapped and die.”

  “Didn’t you bring any rope?”

  “Not enough, we’ll end up falling twenty feet or more if we aren’t picked off by the guards or burned to death in the mean time.”

  “Ill take our chances.” he climbed tot he top and shoved the hatch open.Instantly they were bathed in cool damp air they began coughing up the nasty dust and residue on the tower. The roof was a wide open area with the exception of a large altar, atop which rested a massive bronze idol in the shape of a sitting minotaur, easily 15 feet tall. a curl of smoke oozed from one of it’s nostrils.

  “Where...kaf kaf...where are the guards?” asked Nîlo.

  “Korvus, I don’t like this.” Koino scanned the rooftop suspiciously.

  “Look at the statues.”        

  “Mythras as the “Dispenser of Vengeful Justice”>  I never  would’ve thought of a Mage as holier-than-thou, isn’t that what priests are for?”

Around the parameter stood eight statues of dragons sitting up, their heads raised, each bearing a blazing torch, but the fire didn’t consume the wood.

Always practical (when it came to saving his own skin), Nîlo slunk to the edge between two states and looked down.

  “If we go down from this bit we’ll end up going out the way we came in. Through the bushes and then up over the wall.”

He slowly raised on hand and looked at it, then at the stone it had rested on.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “A strong power was used here, the psychic energy waves are heavy, the vibrations are jarring, piercing, something terrible has happened here, more than once”

From the flickering torchlight behind them came the grating sound of metal on stone.

The trio turned as one towards the sound and into the torchlight came Mythras the Avenger.

Aasim the Efreet was growing weary of battling the Mage, truth be known, he wasn’t winning, he was barely maintaining against the onslaught of the Mage and his two remaining minions. One of the puny humans scurried in front of him using a wand, blasting jets of freezing energy into him. With a howl of true pain Aasim reached for the youth and then suddenly the floor beneath the efreet vanished and in it’s place was a dark icy vortex. Clutching the floor for his life the efreet screamed in deep anguish, as he was dragged onwards, his nails bit into the floor digging deep grooves in the wood. some broke off and left a blood smeared trail. Taking up a heavy piece of broken glass, the Red Mage calmly walked up to Aasim’s clutching hand and lopped his fingers off.  With a scream that would shrivel the soul the efreet spun off and away. The gateway closed behind him like an iris and the dust began to settle.

Carefully the two remaining apprentices approached their master.

  “Khemen, Akiffa, you have both paid attention to your old master. You did not lose your heads, you controlled your emotions, your spells were cast effectively, but your timing needs work. As a team you do well, now we must turn to practical matters, we clean up.”

  “Master, what about the intruders?”

  “Yes. I’d almost forgotten. Who were they and how did they know where the Efreet was kept. Moreover, if they knew he was there why didn’t they try to harness it, would’ve made a more effective weapon I would think.”

Damn the thing for being so stubborn! If it’d listened I would have had that creature by my side. I could have learned secrets of fire that even the ancients didn’t know. Blast!

  “Akiffa, I’m going to my chambers. Get the slaves to start cleaning up, salvage everything you can. Khemen, see to the guards, aid all survivors the best you can, sacrifice those who are wounded beyond help. And be wary, the intruders may still be here, do not go anywhere alone.”

Weary beyond anything he’d known, the Red Mage strode away through the rubble unheeding as servants and slaves put out fires and began their arduous tasks.

It wasn’t long before an outrages shriek split the smokey air;

  “The Eye, they’ve stolen the Eye!”

The wide  open rooftop suddenly seemed a small crowded space. The trio scrambled away from the slower moving statue.

  “Whatta we do now?” Nîlo whined.

  “No idea,”Korvus replied, “never fought a statue before.”

In response the statue made a defensive stance; in it’s right hand it held and obsidian sword, the other, which faced them palm open, began to glow.

  “Run!” yelled Koino, already sprinting, dodging and rolling.

From the hand a beam of orange energy cut through the night air, scoring the stone where the trio had stood a second before.

  “Dammit!” barked Korvus, shoving Nîlo to one side as the beam came their way.

Twisting around, Korvus hurled a dagger at the thing, which bounced off and clattered into the darkness.

  “Nîlo, do something!”

The Psion ducked behind the altar, focused his attention on the advancing edifice. At first noting happened, then the thing began to shiver as though it were cold. Cracks spidered across it it’s surface and it stopped walking the thing slowly turned in Nîlo’s direction and raised it’s dead;y palm once more. Koino, with a piercing scream came out of nowhere, her sword flashing in a silver arc which neatly severed the hand at the wrist.

Her sword shattered at the impact. but the damage had been done.

  “Duck!” Yelled Nîlo as the statue quivered and exploded into bits of rubble and dust.

  “Lets get the hell out of here.” she said.

z

A Rest Well Earned 

Five days later the trio slunk in from a darkened alley be=hind the Dealings.  It was well past curfew and the distant tread of armored patrols echoed along silent stone streets.

Koino led them to an old book seller’s storefront and produced a key,

Opening the door was anguish as it creaked loudly, annoyed at being used this time of night.

Nîlo grimaced at the dark and put his arms out to hold the others in place. His psionic shield fanned out and covered his friend with ease. A pair of crimson eyes simmered in the darkness. A sibilant hiss of indrawn breath; a lantern suddenly blinded them.

  “So, Mara, your pet does his tricks well.”  The corpulent figure of a man glanced once at Nîlo and then back to Koino.

  “Does he fetch, can he beg?”

  “I don’t have time for you’re petty arrogance Jareed. Send word to Talya that I have returned and the way has been pointed.”

Koino spun on her heel and walked around the seated fat figure. Nîlo scuttled next; as Korvus passed, grinning, he patted Jareed on his quivering jowl and blew out the lamp. Koino led them down a narrow hallway to a door. Her fingers tapped out a complicated pattern and after a second a peephole opened and they were stared at.

  “I am Mara, daughter of Death.”Koino spat.

The hole shut and the door opened on the low murmur of  of a cozy tavern with a wide fireplace, tables of men and women, the tables seemingly random, but the trio picked out the pattern and made mental notes of various escape routes. They settled for a table near the fireplace, it gave them one flank from which no attack could come. The continually scanned the crowd.

  “Koi...” started Nîlo, who yipped as she kicked him under the table. There was a slight lull in the general din, but no one seemed to notice or care.

  “Why did you do that?” he hissed, rubbing the offended shin.

  “Because, in here, I am Mara, Daughter of Death, that’s why.”

He made a silent ‘oh’ and nodded.

Korvus motioned to a serving girl;

  “A bottle of Agahyan silver and three glasses please.”

She held out a damp palm. “Pay up front.”

Korvus produced seven large gold coins and tossed three on the table.

They vanished into her blouse and she said, with a shimmy in her nether regions, “Be back in a shake, m’lord.”

Korvus watched her go, a smirk on his unshaven face.

  “Through ogling?” Came a cool voice.

  “Not quite yet.” Then, as the girl disappeared through a door; “ok, now.”

Korvus turned back looking directly into the face of a middle aged woman with stern features, deep blue eyes  and short blond hair. She smiled a small tight smile that did not reach her eyes and sat down.

Nîlo attempted a smile when she glanced his way, but it shattered on her icy nordic features.

Koino, per usual, locked gazes with the woman until both men began to sweat from the palpable tension between them.

The serving girl returned with the bottle and three wooden cups.

  “M’lady Grace, if I’d known you was goin’ to be here I’da brought yer glass too.”

  “No worries, Maggie, I won’t be staying long.” she slipped the girl a silver coin ten abruptly forgot she existed.

  “I have a more private place to talk in back.” Without seeing if they followed, she rose and walked through a narrow door into a small room with a desk and a single chair. She settled behind the desk and the three shuffled nervously.

  “To business then.”

  “We accomplished the mission.” Koino spoke, her voice was flat and iron heavy.

  “What proof do you bring?”

The trio locked eyes for a moment, Korvus and Koino held their breaths and the Nîlo stepped forward with a number of pouches and a box wrapped in shimmering cloth.

  “While my companions were busy smashing and burning everything they could...”

  “Hey, you dropped the lamp!” Korvus snapped.

   “It wasn’t a lamp, it was a...”

  “Yeah, well, whatever it was, you let the genie out.”

He had to restrain himself from clapping a hand over his big mouth.

  “It’s an, uh, expression, yeah, uh, it means you caused a lot of trouble to happen, you know how he’s always fallin’ off rooves and trippin’ over his own feet.” He smiled his most charming smile at her.  It died a horrible death as she regarded him.

  “Whatever. All I want to know; Is. He. Dead.”

  “No.” said Koino

  “Yes.” said Korvus overtop her.  “Yes, the Re...client is dead.  The tower was on fire, he was on the second floor, the staircase was burning behind us as we climbed out onto the roof.” He swallowed remembering his reputation.

  “And we had to fight that stupid statue!” broke in Nîlo, “Koino broke her sword on that thing, now we’ve got to come up with the money to replace it. And of course its a special heirloom sword that can only be made by Yamatoese smiths from special steel.”

  ‘I get it, it’s expensive.” She glared at them.

  “How in the Nine Hells you have survived to get to this point in your lives is beyond me. You're belligerent, undisciplined, rude, crude, stupid; no, not stupid, ignorant is a better word, foolhardy, insane and damned, damned lucky.  All I can figure is a god, or some gods favor you somehow.” She shook her head.

  “So, what kind of haul did you bring back in these leather sacks and what is wrapped in the pretty cloth?”

Nîlo began opening them and dumping the contents on her desk.

An assortment of crystals and gems, a dull pearl, a small oblong box bearing the Red Wizard’s mountain crest, a worn book bound in brown leather, a red-gold ring set with a small star ruby and 102 golden coins bearing the eagle of Xancien. Talya picked up the oblong box and studied, then cautiously opened it.  

 
“Soapstone. Hmph.” her comment as she set the opened box down; inside lay a wax seal showing a mountain on a flat plain, beside the seal a packet of three sticks of red sealing wax. She then indicated the clothe= covered package in the Psion’s grip.

Nîlo gently revealed the box, a polished mahogany block with brass furnishings.

  “Watch.”he said and lay a hand atop the block. In seconds the red mountain crest of the Wizard appeared gilded in the top.

  “It appears to be a solid block, but skilled fingers found he latch”.

As he opened it, the others drew back, afraid of what might happen.

  “I’ve opened it once already, nothing happened.” He stiffened and slumped lifelessly across the desk.  The others slid back several feet, Korvus drew his sword then eased near him, slowly reaching towards Nîlo, who suddenly sat up, a dazed expression on his face. They all jumped.

  “What just happened?”

  “You opened the box and passed out.”

  “Whoa. Gotta leave that Goblin weed alone. Anyway, I couldn’t decipher much but what I could read tells me it’s some kind of instruction manual, I think it’s for making statues.”

Talya regarded the tome for a moment.

  “It’s for making Golems, Brass or Bronze.”

  “That explains the statue of Mythras that attacked us.” Koino stated.

  “A fine haul,” Talya said, “Take it to the accountants for tallying.”

Koino held up a hand.  “Why should we take it to accounting, Nîlo’s the one who stole it.”

Talya stared at her coldly, not for the first time. “I will tell you one last time. All members of the Guild submit their ‘findings’ to the accountants. They assess the full value of the merchandise. A portion of your haul is taken in exchange for the benefits of belonging to the Guild. Should it be discovered that you are hoarding untallied treasure, powerful magic or psionic items, or anything that can be construed as dangerous to the Guild, or the world at large, AND you are not deemed capable of handling it, you will be separated from it, by force if necessary. You will not endanger the Guild or it’s sovereign territory in any way. To do so is death for you. Have I made myself clear? Good.” she replied to the nods.

  “Now take your haul to accounting before you start wallowing in glory. “ She rose and exited through the door, the trio straggling behind. As usual Nîlo brought up the rear bearing his sacks and the box, the shimmering cloth was draped over his shoulder like a shawl.