The Crystal Legacy (Book 2) (28 page)

“Short?”

“The visit, you sniveling fool. The visit must be short. Once the wizard sees the prince, the prince will weaken and terminate the audience. That way the prince’s presence will be affirmed, and the wizard must leave before he discovers the deception.”

The chatra felt nauseous. He started to quiver. “Uhm…”

“What’s the matter with you? I thought you’d convinced yourself you had a backbone.” The wraith smirked. “Not that anyone else believes it.”

“Memlatec won’t disturb you this evening,” the trembling chatra said, hoping it sounded like the arrangement was for the wraith’s benefit.

The prince’s image melted off the orc face like hot butter. The yellow eyes and teeth trained on the chatra. “Look at me. What do you mean, fool?”

“The wizard refused to disturb you tonight, saying it would sap your strength. He insisted you meet in the morning.”

In the ensuing moment of silence, fear enveloped the chatra. His nerve disintegrated as he collapsed to his knees, groveling.

“In the morning?” The low tone of the repeated phrase stabbed like a shaft of ice. The chatra felt faint.

“The wizard insisted on meeting you in the morning. I tried over and over to dissuade him, but he insisted.”

“You proclaimed yourself Chatra of Hoya. It was you that should've insisted, you squirming little twerp!”

“Well, the meeting is set at the hour for petitions in the morning. I thought you might see him for a moment, then have a relapse.”

“You thought. Since when did you start thinking, worm?”

The chatra cringed, wobbling on his knees. He mopped his greasy, glistening brow. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“The damage is done. I’ll have to meet the wizard in the morning, as you have so carefully arranged. Remind him I’m not well, and bring him here in the morning. You’ll pay for this unnecessary drain on my energy.”

“Excuse me,” the chatra’s voice broke, “But the wizard insists on meeting you in the audience hall. If you’re unable to go, he’ll think you seriously ill and delay the meeting until you’re well enough to meet with him there.” The wraith moved his finger. The trembling chatra dropped prostrate on the floor, a trembling mass of squeaks.

“Very well! Be sure you draw the draperies yourself. There can be NO daylight. Send a closed litter for me.”

Crawling backward, the chatra backed out of the apartment on his knees. He stumbled down the stairs barely able to stand. At his office, he recovered somewhat and summoned servants.

“Draw the audience hall draperies so that no sunlight enters. The prince is granting a rare audience, but the light hurts his eyes.”

The next morning at the appointed hour, Memlatec went down to the audience hall. He studied the grand chamber, passing the time until the chatra appeared, then frowning, turned. “Where is Prince Henri?”

“The prince will receive you in the council chamber. The light here disturbs his eyes, you see.” With a twitching smile on his nodding head, the chatra led Memlatec to the door behind the throne. “This way, if you please.”

In the council chamber, Memlatec paced, waiting yet again. Sunlight shone down on the council table from the one window. Memlatec ran his finger across the table, leaving a dark streak through the dust.

“It’s been quite a while since the prince conferred with the nobles.”

The unresponsive chatra stood near the door. A noise caught his attention and he snapped his finger for a guard. “Close those draperies! I told the captain to be sure and draw the draperies.”

His frown followed the guard as he rushed to the window. A placating smile replaced the chatra’s frown looking back at Memlatec.

“The light pains Prince Henri’s eyes.”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that before.”

The prince arrived on a litter carried by eight guards, who placed it at the head of the council table. Prince Henri opened the litter curtains but remained on the litter.

“Greetings to Memlatec, High Court Wizard of Neuyokkasin. It’s good of you to visit us in our convalescence.”

Memlatec bowed. “Greetings to you, Prince Henri. I thank you for meeting me this morning. I hope your health is much better after a good night’s rest. Even in her poor health she expressed concern for her cousin.”

“How is Queen Eleatsubetsvyertsin?”

“The queen is recovering well, thank you for asking.”

“I’m not much improved myself.” The prince made a feeble cough. “I must return to my bed shortly. What brings you to Hoya?”

“Might we dismiss the guards?” Memlatec stepped closer to the head of the table. “I have some confidential news concerning the queen’s proposals for defense alterations here at Hoya.”

The wraith perked up.

“Changes to the fortifications, did you say? Chatra, dismiss the guards at once and leave with them.” The wraith turned again to Memlatec, who stepped still closer to the litter. “What sort of changes?”

Memlatec pulled an official looking scroll from his sleeve and unrolled it on the table. His eyes squinted struggling to read. The wraith leered, trying to see the plan, but Memlatec let it slip and it rolled up. The wraith stepped from the litter, his hand extended to hold one end of the document.

“I don’t see so well these days,” Memlatec said stepping imperceptibly to the hall’s east side. “Can you see, Highness?”

The wraith began unrolling the scroll. The wizard’s heart pounded as he watched the vile creature obsessing over the plan. He must not notice my movements, Memlatec thought. “I need some light to read this.”

Memlatec turned and threw back the long heavy curtains.

“Don’t open those draperies!” the wraith screamed. His image quivered, dissolving to transparency looking at Memlatec. The strong midmorning sunlight over the Talok Mountains streamed into the council chamber onto the table and wraith.

“Aughhh…!”

The chatra and guards rushed into the room hearing the wraith’s death moan. It shriveled and disappeared like fog evaporating in morning sunlight. Panicked, the guards fled the room rushing past the chatra, his face frozen in a gasp as he stared at the empty litter.

“So much for your protector,” Memlatec said. He took the moment of maximum chaos to walk out of the Hoyahof. Without the wraith’s power, all the Dark Lord’s minions would realize they were behind enemy lines with no support or hopes for reinforcements. The orc guards would hold their posts for the moment, but their confidence would waver as the news spread.

The great wizard’s smile puzzled many citizens who saw him leaving the city.

*

When his attendants saw the trembling chatra, sweat streaming down his double chins, packing and flitting about the palace, panic spread among the orcs. Soon they were all collecting this and that for flight.

“The Dark Lord will destroy me if I desert my post and abandoned the citadel to the Neuyokkasinians again,” the chatra said to a contemptuous ogre standing by as he packed. He handed his few valuables to the sneering ogre commander, who hurled them in the chest, one atop another. Fretting, the chatra didn’t notice the breakage and handed more valuables to the aide.

“I can hold the Hoyahof without the wraith so long as the orc guards support me. They do still support me, don’t they?”

The chatra looked up at the ogre. The ogre slammed the top down on the chest. His sneer faded as he looked to the door. Both heard the chaos outside the chatra’s suite. The ogre dropped a gold goblet that clanged on the floor as he walked out.

“How dare you? Where are you going? I’ve not dismissed you.” The ogre didn’t even look back.

After a sleepless night, the chatra’s orc aide burst into his bedroom. The chatra snatched up the bed linens around him at the sudden intrusion.

“General Sekkarian and his army they’s set up just outside the city walls. When the news come the orcs, they freaked. Most done snuck off before first light.”

The chatra jumped from his bed only to see his treasure chest missing. “Summon the commander.”

“The commander were first to run off.”

The servant turned and fled, not waiting for more orders. The chatra sank back on the bed. During the day, a few at a time, the remaining orcs slipped away from the palace, into the city crowd, and fled north. By the next morning, only a handful of orcs remained with the chatra. The enemy had effectively abandoned the Hoyahof.

General Sekkarian entered the city and took the remaining orcs and the chatra prisoner. Per Memlatec’s instructions, the general had come by way of Tashia and brought the loyal Tashian guards back to hold and defend the Hoyahof.

Memlatec stood on the balcony of the Hoyahof’s imposing entrance tower overlooking the grand plaza and addressed the assembled Hoyans.

“Citizens of Hoya, the chatra and his guards are under arrest.” Cheers erupted. Memlatec gave the crowd a moment. He then raised his hands and said, “Order is restored at the Hoyahof.” The citizens began dancing in the streets. “I’m sorry to report the prince has died. A memorial ceremony will take place shortly. Until such time as Queen Eleatsubetsvyertsin appoints the new Prince of Hoya, the city will be under the direction and protection of General Sekkarian.”

There was a silence as the citizens, now freed from the chatra’s harsh rule, remembered their old Prince Henri, last lord of the noble House of Tulak.

Memlatec was free to return to Konnotan, but the wizard now had new worries. He conferred with the general in the conference room.

“Having seen how completely the wraith secured and held Hoya’s defenses, I’m now concerned about the extent to which the Dark Lord has infiltrated other northern defenses. General, remain here to govern the city, but order your troops back to Konnotan. The Tashian guards will restore faith in the city’s lawful government.”

“As you say, Memlatec.”

“General, appoint your ablest commander to lead the army home by way of Talok Tower. Leave a garrison there to restore and defend the eastern gate.”

The general turned and left, to dispatch his senior officers and men not needed at Hoya.

* * *

Hendrel slipped past Hoya on his way back north. He knew Memlatec would be arriving shortly and didn’t want to be caught up in that confrontation. Needing to find Saxthor fast, he stayed on the Pundar River almost to its source in the Heggolstockin Mountains. He stopped at the river town of Girdane in Graushdem to get supplies for his hike up the border to the Wizards’ Hall and to check on the local rumors and gossip.

Girdane was a medium-sized town, the largest on the western plain of Graushdem. The town’s economy relied on storing, consolidating, and shipping products from across the peninsula’s north-central region to trade with the South. Warehouses lined the river docks and covered a third of the town. The neat, well-kept cottages reflected the city’s prosperity, if not wealth. Its citizens were relatively happy and enjoyed the tales at the alehouses to liven up ordinary lives.

In an alehouse just off the docks, Hendrel heard there was a Neuyokkasinian prince visiting King Grekenbach in Graushdemheimer. It was the talk of the establishment.

“No Neuyokkasinian prince has visited Graushdem since anyone can remember,” a portly merchant said, turning his dripping mug to friends at his table. “Perhaps we’ll be permitted to trade officially now.”

“Officially or not, nothing stops trade when each side has the goods the other wants,” another merchant said, and the two merchants tapped mugs and drank to that reality.

Hendrel smiled seeing the citizens of Graushdem were impressed with Saxthor. They were warming to closer relations with Neuyokkasin. That was a good development and an unexpected benefit from Saxthor’s mission. Hendrel took another sip of ale and caught another conversation.

“Strange things is happening in them Heggolstockin Mountains,” a middle-aged man still in his hunting clothes said. He sat at the table beside Hendrel’s. The wizard turned his head to hear the conversation better.

“I ain’t gonna be out in them mountains after dark until something be done about it.”

“The word be the Astorax is loose in them mountains,” another hunter said. “Them people up there don’t ships their goods much anymore. The mountain folks is too scared to work or risk leaving their homes to bring stuff to market.”

“The duke oughta send soldiers to hunt down that there monster,” the first hunter said, nodding his head. He took a gulp of ale, then plopped his mug on the table.

“What’s that?” the weighty merchant from the table across from Hendrel asked. “Did you say the Astorax?”

“Yes, the Astorax,” the hunter said. “It terrifies them mountain peoples.”

“Girdane is the consolidation point for the products of northern Sengenwha, the Heggolstockin Mountains, and western Graushdem,” the merchant said, looking around the room. “The warehouses must have goods to store for shipment down the Pundar. This is a commercial town, and anything hampering that commerce, the duke should attend to.”

The Astorax is big news in the alehouse, Hendrel thought.

The other merchant spoke up following a gulp of ale. “I say we need to send a delegation to the duke for troops to hunt down this beast before it destroys our business or decides to attack the town. My business is down by half this fall, and it’s all due to that Astorax.”