My Sparkling Misfortune (The Lakeland Knight) (12 page)

King Osmund flew through the gate just as I was coming out of the tower.

"Sir Lakeland Knight, help!" he shouted. "They took Philip! They kidnapped my son!!"

I was swept with instant fury.

"
What?!
Who dared?! Jarvi, get my armor and horse! Who did it?!"

The king dismounted. He was out of breath.

"The most fearsome creatures... Living skeletons... Bare bones with no flesh, yet they move and fight..."

Shabriak. Oh, he was going to answer for this!

"I know who stands behind it, Your Majesty. I will bring you his head, and those walking bones of his won't save him. Now, calm down, if you can, and tell me how it happened."

King Osmund could barely stand on his feet. Jarvi came running with a chair.

"Philip went to see you, this morning. I sent six guards with him. I should have sent more, but what could possibly happen on the road to your castle?! Only five miles from the palace?!"

The king shook his head. I didn't press him.

"Those creatures attacked at the bridge... They had to be hiding under it. The guards fought, but the creatures defeated them, wounding each one. They grabbed Philip, tied him up, and left with him." He looked at me, teary-eyed. "Sir Lakeland Knight, I know that you are wounded..."

"I am not. Jarvi healed me, so I'm in the best shape. I'll get your son back, Your Majesty." I turned to the sparkling.
"
Jarvi
,
go find
--
no
,
wait
!
You can do it much faster
!
Fly and rescue Philip, bring him here. I'll deal with Shabriak myself later."

Jarvi lit up with bright orange light, but for some reason did not disappear. The shining flickered and faded; the sparkling stood before me with a bewildered expression.

"What's the matter, Jarvi?"

"I can't... I don't know why, but I can't do it."

He tried once more, this time vanishing in the orange burst--but only for a second. In a moment, the sparkling was standing before me again.

"Faradin forbids me to interfere," he said. "You must decide what to do, Lord Arkus."

I had no time to reflect on Faradin's unexpected trick.

"There's nothing to decide here, I will go myself. Go tell Captain Zordan to get ready as well; him and --"

"Oh, but you must go alone, my dear knight," the king interrupted. "That's what he demands in the ransom note."

He handed me a crumpled piece of paper he had clutched in his fist. I straightened it up and read.

If you want the prince back, send the Lakeland Knight to negotiate. He must come alone, specifically without his servant named Jarvi. I will wait for him at the Graywing Fortress, no more than three days. Fail to follow these instructions, and you will never see the prince again.

Graywing Fortress... That was quite a way off. And as far as I could remember, there were no white towers there.

"Very well, I will go alone. Jarvi, you got my armor ready?"

"Yes, it is laid out for you in the bedroom."

"Find me a map, too. I know where Graywing is, but I need to find the shortest route."

"Please, hurry up," the king pleaded. "If he wants gold, I don't care how much, we will pay."

"I will leave right away, Your Majesty. I'll just put my armor on and go."

"Thank you... thank you so much..."

I went to my bedchamber. Jarvi came in with the map and helped me to put on the armor as I studied it.

"Well, Jarvi, it looks like we'll have to part, for the first time since we met."

"Yes. Lord Arkus, I want you to take this."

He was handing me his shining orange sword.

"...Your sword, Jarvi?"

"It is a powerful weapon. You will be able to defend yourself with it... from anything."

I knew what he meant. The monster hadn't shown up for weeks, restrained by the white towers, but I would bet he still circled the area. He always did.

"Thank you, Jarvi."

I wanted to say more, but I was interrupted by a loud cracking sound.

"Tulip, I strongly object!!"

It was Ellar, of course. I recognized his voice before I turned and saw the shining green figure.

"You must not do this!" he went on. "How did you even think about it?! You know what you are risking! If he misuses the sword, you will pay, dearly!"

"I know. But he will not misuse it."

"How can you be so sure?! Even if you were assigned to a hero, through the normal routine, you should think twice--no, ten times!--before ever letting them get a hold of your sword!"

"I understand all that, Ellar. But that's what I have decided. He needs it. You know he does."

I stepped to the green sparkling.

"Ellar... I know we did not have a good start, and you have no reason to trust me. But for what it's worth, I promise you, I would never do anything that could harm your friend."

He listened.

"All I want is to rescue Philip. I promise you I will not misuse the sword. Now, tell me, what must I not do? And what exactly is Jarvi risking?"

Ellar threw up his hands.

"See?! He has no idea what you are giving him! Not a clue how to treat such a weapon and what the slightest mistake will cost you!!"

"Well, that's why I am asking you to tell me!" I was losing patience as well. "How am I to know anything if all you do is speak in riddles??"

"He is right," Jarvi said. "Let me explain..."

"I will do it." Ellar looked me straight in the eye. "If he gives you the sword, you must return it unspoiled with evil. That means no fighting for the wrong cause, no matter how big or small. Remember that you do not own it, you only have borrowed it, and Tulip still answers for how it's used. Don't you
ever
let it out of your hands. If someone else gets a hold of it and uses it for bad purposes, the sword will be spoiled just the same. As to what Tulip is risking... Think of it this way: if you spoil the sword, you will kill him."

"Come, Ellar," Jarvi interfered, "that is not right, spirits don't die, so --"

"That's the only way he can understand."

∗ ∗ ∗

I left the castle through the side gate, smaller and rarely used. I rode hard at first, hoping to catch up with the kidnappers, but they were too far ahead, and besides, I did not know what route they took. They could be using some magical help to move faster, too. When I realized that, I slowed down, giving my horse a break.

Jarvi's sword weighed on my left side. I had put it in the sheath, replacing my own, and it fit perfectly, having instantly adjusted to the size. With only the hilt visible, it looked no different than any other blade. Once in a while I couldn't resist pulling it out a bit to see the glow. I was still overwhelmed with what Jarvi did for me. My orange pest proved to be a true friend...

The shortest way to Graywing was an old, abandoned road, barely visible through the weeds that grew all over it. I met no one on the way, which was no wonder. Who'd want to travel to an old dilapidated fortress full of bats and rumored to be haunted?

I made it there on the next day. Two skeletons stood at the gateway, holding swords in their bony hands. Both turned to me as I approached, and nodded, obviously letting me know that I could pass. I wondered how many of these Shabriak packed the place with.

The gate itself had long since rotted away, so there was nothing to unlock. The yard was filled with old broken junk. Two more skeletons guarded the entrance to the fortress itself.

"Where is your master?" I asked.

They pointed inside. It appeared that they couldn't talk; I figured it made sense since they had no tongues. On the other hand, they had no eyes yet they saw me, no ears yet they heard what I said. Very strange.

I dismounted and tied the horse to a large wooden cart without a wheel.

"Come near my horse and I'll break every bone you are made of," I warned. "Got it?"

They nodded.

I entered the damp hallway with moss-covered walls. Glimpses of fire from the other end suggested there was a more suitable room over there, where Shabriak must have taken residence. I headed that way.

I was right: I saw a spacious hall lit with a bright burning hearth. Shabriak was sitting next to the fire on a chair, feet up on a large table, perusing a scroll.

"Ah! You have arrived," he greeted me, rising. "Sooner than I thought."

"Where is the prince?"

"Right here, safe and sound."

He snapped his fingers, and a skeleton walked in, leading Philip. One bony hand was clutching the boy's shoulder, the other held a dagger to his neck. The prince was pale, but other than that, he looked remarkably composed. His eyes brightened as he saw me.

I could barely hold my anger.

"Shabriak, how dare you! Let him go at once!"

"One wrong move, and Mr. Bones here will have his throat slit. Don't worry though, I do intend to let him go, that's why I called you to negotiate."

"What do you want?"

"I think you can easily guess. That sparkling of yours."

"Jarvi? He is not even here! Didn't you tell me yourself in your note to come without him?"

Shabriak gave a curt smile.

"Yes, of course I did. I would not have an upper hand if he came, would I? He does not need to be here to have it arranged." He handed me the scroll. "Just sign this. Jarvi will be mine, and Prince Philip goes home."

I took the document.

I hereby transfer whatever rights I have on the sparkling named Jarvi to Shabriak, wizard of Galla. Jarvi is now bound to him as he was bound to me.

"Release the prince first."

"And then you tear up the paper? No. Sign it and give it to me."

Another skeleton offered me a quill. I had little choice. My hope was that the deal wouldn't last: when Jarvi finds out that he has been "given away," he could appeal to Faradin and be released. I would lose him as well, of course. And his protection from the monster.

Oh well. I lived without him before.

I signed the scroll and handed it back to Shabriak.

He looked at me with a rather surprised expression, as if he didn't expect it.

"You really do care for the Ulkarian prince, don't you?..."

At that moment the door swung open and Prince Kellemar burst in, sword bare.

"Release His Highness Prince Philip or die like a dog!!"

Shabriak frowned.

"Did I not tell you to come alone?"

I wanted to strangle the unfortunate hero wannabe.

"Darn it, Kellemar! Why did you have to show up?! You will ruin everything!"

He glared at me in triumph.

"Yes, of course I will ruin whatever evil plans you've got!"

"Sir Lakeland Knight came here to save me!" Philip cried out.

"Sure he did! Two villains striking a deal, signing papers, as I see! By the way, has his real name yet transpired?"

I just realized it myself that it hadn't...

"No? In that case I will tell you! He is called Lord Arkus! Yes, the very same I thought I had killed!"

Prince Philip stared at us, wide-eyed, waiting for me to deny it. Kellemar must have expected the same. I said nothing.

"It is not true!!" shouted Philip.

"Oh, but it is. Ask the other villain here, I'm sure they know each other. He will confirm."

Philip's eyes turned to Shabriak.

"I don't understand what kind of show is going on here," the latter said, "but for the record, yes, I know this man as Lord Arkus. Now, Arkus, I thought I had made myself very clear about you coming here alone. I'm afraid I must call the deal off."

"Wait, Shabriak! Listen. We're not together, don't you see?! I had no idea he would show up, he came on his own accord!" I looked at Kellemar. "Tell him so!"

He regarded me with utter contempt.

"Of course I came by myself. I have no connection with this man!"

Shabriak shook his head.

"Sorry, you haven't convinced me. I keep the sparkling--and the prince."

Here I smiled. I thought he wanted to cancel the whole deal, but if he wished to turn it this way, I had a surprise for him.

"I don't think you can do it, Shabriak. Take care to examine the document you are holding."

He shot at me a suspicious glance and quickly unrolled the scroll. His eyes narrowed as he read what I'd added.

"
Takes force upon Prince Philip's release
, huh? Very smart..." Shabriak turned to Kellemar. "My apology, Your Highness, but it appears that he has outsmarted us. I know that you would like to take credit for the prince's release, but with this line put in here, it makes no sense for me to keep holding him." He snapped his fingers at the skeleton. "Let the boy go."

Now I saw it all.