Party at Castle Grof (3 page)

“Aranok, mother will be getting worried. We were only supposed to be bringing Lady Eliethor’s report to the Mage’s Guild, nothing more.”

“The Dungeons of Doom are big trouble and if the Guild is trying to retrieve something from the treasure room of one, then the whole of Quargard could end up in danger.” Aranok pulled himself upright.

“Aranok, those places have been quiet for at least a hundred years. I’m sure the Guild can handle any problems. They don’t need us.” Ariana could see logic wasn’t swaying her brother. “Besides, Liana will be waiting for you. You have to get back to her.”

“Liana would understand. Mother would understand and the Queen would expect us to get involved.” Aranok raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s the real reason you don’t want to go?”

“I don’t trust them. They’ve already brought us a great deal of trouble,” she said, watching Grald and the mage with narrowed eyes.

“That brawl? I’ve been in worse during the Midwinter Festival at home.” Her brother laid a gentle hand on one arm. “Let’s go and hear what this Lord Harnez has to say. It would be better to make a decision based on more information anyway.”

“Ok, fine. But I still don’t trust them,” Ariana muttered, rubbing the back of her arms.
What is wrong with me? Normally I’d be as interested as Aranok. There’s something wrong here; I can feel it.

They rejoined Grald and Shilir.

“We’ll at least hear your employer out.” Aranok said.

“Excellent. This way please.” Shilir ushered them through the gate.

Erendell focused her keen hearing on the group.
Dungeons of Doom? Now that sounds interesting.
She slipped swiftly through the gate after them, staying close enough to hear what was going on. The mention of the involved Lord gave her pause.
Maybe not.
Aristocracy always means trouble.
She leaned against a nearby wall and watched the other four.
Dungeons of Doom or find a bar for a drink? Damn, they’re moving again. I’d better catch up. Goddess knows what trouble they’ll find themselves in next.

Shilir began striding off up the street towards the Palace. Grald followed him, Aranok keeping pace with the Jinran. Ariana had to move fast to keep up.

He led them to a fine house, just down the hill from the Palace of King Groilin. The extensive gardens had large shade trees bordering the paved path, providing welcome relief from the midsummer heat.

“Wait here please,” Shilir said before disappearing into the house, leaving them on the front portico.

“Have you noticed that Shilir’s got all business like?” Ariana whispered to Aranok.

The half-elf nodded. “My ear tips are tingling.”

“That’s not a good sign,” Ariana said, poking him. “Let’s go, before we get into something we can’t get out of.”

Aranok glanced at Grald, who was surreptitiously clearing his nose out with the one little finger of one hand and his ear with the index finger of other hand.

“All right, Sis. Don’t poke my ribs like that, I bruise easily.”

She snorted and covered her mouth to stop a giggle from escaping.

Grald rolled his eyes. “You two are like a couple of kids.”

“I’m a half elf, we take a long time to mature and she’s still a babe in arms in comparison.” Aranok moved out of Ariana’s reach as she jabbed one hand toward him again.

“I’m serious, Aranok. I have an increasingly bad feeling about this.” Ariana lowered her voice and moved closer to him. “Let’s get out of here.”

He pulled a face. “Are you sure?”

She nodded.

He shrugged and hefted his bag. “Okay then.”

Grald sighed mournfully. “You’re going then? Just as I was beginning to get used to you, too.”

Ariana looked at him. “I’m sorry, Grald…” she started, but before she could finish apologising and move away and head down the drive, Shilir reappeared.

“Come on through now,” he said.

“Too late.” Aranok smiled at her reassuringly when his sister’s face dropped into annoyance. “It can’t hurt to listen, Ariana.”

With a sour expression on her face, Ariana followed the two men and the mage into the house.

Erendell sprinted up the path, but it was too late. “Damn.” She grimaced and concentrated on getting her breath back.
What would you have said if you’d caught up with them anyway?
Her conscience berated her.
Aranok said he never wanted to see you again after the debacle in Reldheim.

She straightened up and headed back toward the gates.
I’ll catch them when they come back out and find out what’s going on then.

* * *

Shilir led them into a large room. Hundreds of books lined the walls and a tall rack of scrolls stood between two stained glass windows depicting Tyr, the God of War, Battles and Honour, and Espilieth, Goddess of Magic and Healing, both deities shown in their human guises.

Despite the season, the room was quite cool. Next to the empty fireplace, a small shrine bore a porcelain statuette of Espilieth in white robes and a tiny brazier in front of the figure sent up a strong floral scent from the smouldering coals.

At least this lord is calling the Lady’s aid down properly; that’s an expensive rose incense from Franier he’s burning.
Ariana deeply inhaled the scent of roses in full bloom with approval.

Aranok smiled and shook his head at her dreamy sigh when she exhaled. Blushing at being caught in her appreciation, Ariana looked around.

At the opposite end of the room from the windows, a large dark wood desk squatted, covered with paper, parchments, books and scrolls. Behind the desk sat a tall, heavyset man with thinning brown hair, his eyes moving over an ancient looking scroll.

Shilir bowed. “Lord Harnez, I have brought the Warrior Grald as you requested. He has found two companions to accompany him. They have requested a briefing on the Quest.”

Ariana looked annoyed at Shilir’s assumption. Aranok elbowed her before she could say anything.

Lord Harnez looked up from the papers he was studying.

“Thank you, Shilir, you may go.” Shilir left the room and Harnez stood up and moving to a position beside the solid, carved clay, three-dimensional map that occupied the centre of the room.

“This is Valdier.” Harnez pointed to the map. He looked up when he realised no one had moved. “Come over here, please.”

Grald, Aranok and Ariana moved over to stand around the map.

“Right,” Harnez continued, “just outside of Valdez are the ruins of Castle Grof, once the ancestral home of the powerful Alizarin Family. Located in the centre of the ruins is an entrance to one of the Dungeons of Doom.” “You are familiar with the Legend of The Tower and The Eye, are you not?”

No one said anything and he frowned. “The Tower and The Eye? Never heard of it,” Aranok replied. Ariana blinked and looked at him. He sent her the barest tip of a wink.

What’s he up to?
Ariana inclined her head a little in response and remained quiet.
I remember being told stories about the heroes of the Black War as a child; he’s older than me, he should know more about it than just stories.

Grald started, “You’ve never heard of the Legend of the Tower and The Eye?” he asked, sounding shocked.

Lord Harnez frowned. “Where on earth do you come from? I thought everyone knew the legend.”

Aranok opened his mouth, but before a word had been spoken, Harnez waved the question away. “No, forget I asked.”

He picked up an outsized tome, flipping through to a double spread of pictures.

“I’ll explain.

“According to the legend recorded by Scholar Shallin Val’din in the year three hundred A.T., the four kingdoms of Valdier, Galivor, Jinran and Franier were once ruled over by the evil Aracan Katuvana from the Black Tower in the centre of the Heart Mountains.”

He turned the page to a map. “To enforce his will on the people of the kingdoms, the Aracan Katuvana created the Dungeons of Doom. The network of dungeons and tunnels was supposed to spread across each kingdom. All of the Dungeons connected to the Tower with secret tunnels that were built around a vein of precious metals and gems.”

The lord pointed out each of the locations in the appropriate places on the clay map. “Reldheim, the land of the Dwarves and Alethdariel, the ancestral home of the Elves, were able to stave the Aracan off for some considerable time, but eventually he began to encroach into their lands.

“This precipitated an uprising from within Galivor, led by Ser Senith, a Paladin of Espilieth, aided heavily by the Dwarves and Elves. Over time the oppressed peoples of Valdier, Franier and Jinran joined the revolution.”

Lord Harnez shut the book with a snap, making Ariana jump.

“The Aracan Katuvana was eventually overthrown by the combined effort of all the Kingdoms. They raided the Dungeons, found the underground passages and stormed the Black Tower. Sir Senith destroyed the Aracan Katuvana and freed the kingdoms to run their own lives.

“Over time the entrances to the Dungeons were lost, some demolished, some bricked up, their surrounding castles destroyed and the areas made forbidden to enter. For humans, it has been so long since the Overthrow that all that is left are the ruins, the scholarly legend and a fairy tale told to children to make them behave themselves.” Harnez stopped speaking and assessed his audience’s condition.

Grald looked like he had fallen asleep on his feet and was even snoring lightly.

Ariana eyed the three-dimensional map closely, whispering to Aranok: “Is it just me, or is there a flag in Alethdin?” she pointed. “It’s right next to the border of our home.”

“Since when has Alethdariel become your homeland?” Aranok scoffed.

“Since I was born and brought up there, dummy.”

Aranok stifled a chuckle at being able to bait Ariana yet again.

“Oh, I forgot about that.”

Ariana thumped him in the arm.

“Ahem.” Harnez cleared his throat.

Grald jumped. “Whoops, sorry, Lord Harnez. I haven’t rested properly since we arrived in the city.”

“My apologies, Lord Harnez,” Ariana said. “My half-brother isn’t exactly used to being around humans other than my mother or me. We don’t get out of Alethdar much.”

“That explains your lack of knowledge then. Alethdariel prefers to ignore the existence of the Dungeons. The only one which was built there, was cleansed and turned into a storage facility of some kind, I believe.”

“Are you referring to the Mage Library?” Ariana sent an incredulous glance at Aranok.
I never knew it was an abandoned dungeon. Although that does explain a couple of things about the place. Hmmm, Aranok doesn’t seem surprised. Maybe it’s something that Elven Bloods are taught?

“It would be an ideal place to house such dangerous knowledge, so yes, that is probably the one.” Harnez turned back to the map and sighed. “I conferred with King Groilin and we agreed this one is far too close to the city for comfort.”

“Why are you bothering to send a party in at all?” Aranok asked. “Surely if there are creatures in there at all, the safest thing to do would be to leave it alone.”

“There are several reasons that we need to clear it out. Firstly, the land there is fertile and has been unused for centuries. With the troubles the king is experiencing in the Southern Spires with the supposed Franieren Bandits, he requires extra supplies and wants to site a new village there. Secondly …” his voice trailed off and he looked into the distance.

“Did you lose someone there?” Ariana’s gentle voice jolted him out of his reverie.

“Yes. My younger sister. We were acting upon a dare from one of our friends by exploring the ruins and she just… disappeared.” He shook himself and coughed. “I would like whoever goes to try and find some trace of her. I do not believe, unlike my family, that she fell down some hole and died from her injuries.”

Ariana exchanged a glance with her brother. “I see.”

Harnez regained his composure “According to the village closest to the castle, there have been many such disappearances, as well as stories of vampires, werewolves and other such monsters that roam the countryside.”

“And you consider stories a danger?” Aranok’s scepticism seemed to irritate the lord.

“I conferred with King Groilin and we agreed it is far too close to Valdez for comfort. If the creatures within are real, we need to remove such an infestation immediately.”

“And the supposed wealth of gemstones and gold below the castle helps of course,” the half elf muttered. Harnez ignored him.

Grald glowered at the map. “Why didn’t the King send his troops in?” he asked.

“They are currently tied up in a border skirmish with Franier over the pass through the Spires, as well as their bandit hunting and general patrol duties in the kingdom.” Harnez looked annoyed at the notion that his king wouldn’t help and pointed at the flag that indicated Castle Grof. “I paid for a large party of local mercenaries and adventurers to infiltrate the Dungeon. They got through the underground tunnels as far as a Graveyard before they were attacked by Vampires. Shilir was the only one to get out of the Dungeon alive.”