The Grimjinx Rebellion (7 page)

11

The Great Uprisings

“There are no secrets. Only knowledge in search of a buyer.”

—Selldar Grimjinx, omni-rogue

S
omewhere, far away, the gaolglobes hummed as they continued their patrol. It was the only sound.

Maloch broke the near silence with a nervous chuckle. “Don't be so dramatic.”

“I'm not,” I said. “Kolo warned me. I spent months trying to figure it out. And now—”

Callie held up her hand. “Hold on. Kolo
warned
you?”

“Kolo was obsessed with the Uprisings,” I explained. “He told me I should research them. He hinted that something bad was going to happen and understanding the Uprisings would help prevent it.”

“Kolo was also crazy, remember?” Callie said. “He tried to blow up the Palatinate Palace.”

“I know,” I said, “but I think he had good reason to be worried. Look, centuries ago, before there even
were
Five Provinces, a group called the Scions tried to enslave the land.”

Callie's brow furrowed. “The Scions? I thought they were just a story. Powerful mages who wanted to enforce magical rule.”

“They were real,” I said. “They enslaved thousands of sanguibeasts and vessapedes and spiked orvathorns and turned them into an army.”

“Why animals? Why not just recruit soldiers?” Maloch asked.

“The Scions created control medallions that make the wearer obedient to a mage's will. But the medallions don't work on intelligent creatures. By using animals, the Scions had complete control over them.”

Callie gasped. “Control medallions? Like the ones we saw Xerrus using at the Onyx Fortress?”

I nodded. “Maloch and I saw thousands of medallions being made in the Palatinate's forge. When you and I found Xerrus last year, I don't think he'd gone rogue. I think the Palatinate had sent him there to figure out how to make the medallions. And those experiments with animals—”

“So what happened with the Scions?” Maloch interrupted.

“The Scions enslaved town-state after town-state. They killed all the par-Dwarves, who were immune to magic. They built the Onyx Fortresses to store huge amounts of magical energy for combat. They were just about to take over completely when one man organized an insurrection. Mannis Soranna.”

“The first High Laird,” Maloch said.

“They say the war that followed was the bloodiest the land has ever known,” I said. “But in the end, Soranna vanquished the Scions, destroyed the Onyx Fortresses, and created the Five Provinces. He made it illegal to learn about the Uprisings. He thought that if no one knew the history, it could never happen again. But because the stories were outlawed, no one could see history repeating itself.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Maloch asked.

“This is why Kolo was telling me to learn about the Uprisings.” The words rushed breathlessly from my mouth. “‘
Volo ser voli.
Yesterday is today.' Things that are happening now happened back then. The Palatinate is trying to take over the Provinces.”

Maloch's face went blank. “Look, you know I trust mages as far as I can throw them. But you're talking about the Palatinate going up against the High Laird and the Provincial Guard. Magic or not, how is that even possible?”

“They learned from the Scions' mistakes,” I said. “The Scions made an army out of ordinary creatures. Too easy to kill. So the Palatinate needed a new army. A
different
army . . .”

Maloch understood. “The monsters! Bloodreavers and nightmanx and all the ones you saw in the Palatinate Palace.”

I nodded. “The Palatinate is using creatures of legend, made from pure magic. Not so easily killed. I think that's what Xerrus was working on. At first he tried combining real creatures to make them stronger. And when that didn't work . . .”

“They have an entire army hiding in their palace,” Maloch said. “So, why haven't they used them? What are they waiting for?”

“The right time.”

Callie looked ill as she whispered. This couldn't have been easy for her to take. She'd dedicated her life to studying magic. Now it seemed like her masters—even her own cousin—weren't at all who she thought they were.

“They've been waiting for the right time,” she repeated. “Think about it. The spiderbats were hunted nearly to extinction. Just like the par-Dwarves.
Anything
that can naturally resist magic has been disappearing. Jaxter, even you've noticed that magic-resistant plants have been dying for years. They've been eliminating anything that can stop them.”

“And that's why they had the Sarosans exiled,” Maloch said. “Anyone who hates magic—and knows how to counter it—is a threat to them.”

“Remember the relics stolen from the High Laird's vault?” I asked. “They were forged by a group of mages who worked for Soranna
against
the Scions. They didn't believe mages should rule absolutely. Those relics were vital in turning the tide of the war for the High Laird.”

“How?” Callie asked.

“The relics had the ability to manipulate the Sourcefire. They used it as a weapon against the Scions. After the war, Soranna created the Palatinate to make sure magic was never abused the way the Scions had done.”

“Yeah,” Maloch said with a grunt, “that worked
really
well.”

“To make sure no mage got too powerful, the first members of the Palatinate enlisted the High Laird to guard the four relics they'd created to manipulate the Sourcefire.”

“Wait a minute,” Callie said. “You said ‘four.'
Five
relics were stolen from the vaults.”

“The last relic, the Vanguard, wasn't made to fight the Scions. No one knows for sure where it came from. But it proved to be the ultimate weapon against the Scions. The Vanguard has the ability to
destroy magical energy
. If there's any chance of stopping the Palatinate, it means finding that relic.”

Callie frowned. “We don't know where it is or what it looks like.”

Maloch leaned against the tree. “We know Kolo stole it. That's a start.”

“We've got something better than a start,” I said. “We've got
an augur
. If we can find her.”

“We've looked everywhere,” Maloch said. “Aubrin's not in the Athenaeum.”

“Okay,” I said, “that means there's only one other place she can be.”

Callie nodded grimly. “The Black Door.”

I pointed to the dome and the faint sunlight. “The others will be awake soon. We can't risk them finding us near the Black Door. We need another diversion.”

“Please,” Maloch said, “no more exploding cakes.”

“No time,” I said, rummaging through my pouches. “Cal, you said you could beat the magical defenses here. Think you can take on a gaolglobe?”

I mixed ground paggis root and jellyweed in my palm. The harder I stirred with my finger, the more the concoction started to crackle and fizz. Callie's eyes widened as she realized what I was going to do. “Do I have a choice?”

“You two keep them busy,” I said, “and I'll get Aubrin. Meet me outside the servants' barracks. And try not to get caught.”

I threw the concoction in the air. It sparkled and hissed like fireworks, lighting up the dark and echoing off the trees. Far away, the gaolglobes responded, turning from blue to red. The pulsing spheres shot through the forest, headed right for us, howling loudly enough to wake the entire Creche. Soon, everyone—the servants, Gobek—would be here.

“This is the part where we run,” I said.

The three of us shot through the forest, pushing aside branches and tall grass. The spheres had grown brighter, lighting our path with deep crimson. We split up, zigzagging to lose the spheres as they drew nearer.

I lost sight of the others and charged blindly ahead. It was purely by accident that I came across the clearing where we'd first entered. There, just ahead, was the exit. If I could get there before Mavra and the others showed up . . .

Holding tight to Tree Bag, I ran. I glanced over my shoulder, looking for the sphere. Nothing. I was going to make it. And just as I thought I was safe, it dropped from above.

Pop!

Crimson light exploded around me. The gaolglobe vanished and I was left in darkness. There was no way the herbs in my pouches were strong enough to counteract it. So why—?

I didn't have time to worry about it. I slipped through the door, back into the Creche.

“It's coming from the Athenaeum!” Mavra's shrill voice filled the corridor. I turned and ran in the opposite direction, disappearing around a corner just as the servants arrived on the scene. The Aviard girl pushed her way to the Athenaeum door, ordering everyone to back off until Gobek arrived.

Under my breath, I wished Callie and Maloch good luck, then I tiptoed down the hall and made my way to the Black Door.

12

Beyond the Black Door

“A liar with a poor memory leaves a trail of unfortunate truths.”

—Ancient par-Goblin proverb

F
or as ominous as everyone had made it out to be, the Black Door wasn't so scary up close. It didn't even have a lock. I guess it didn't really need one. Who wanted to go in there, what with all the unholy screaming?

I pressed my ear to the cold, black wood. No howling. No sounds of torture. This was getting better by the minute. Checking to make sure my pouches were at the ready, I ducked inside.

Tiny orbs of green-blue fire floated above, dimly lighting a slender passage. I crept along the wall, hugging the shadows. Even behind the door, I could hear the wailing of the gaolglobes. Good. That meant they hadn't caught Maloch and Callie.

I walked until the narrow hall opened up into an oval room filled with lit candles. The smell of animal fur and sweat nearly knocked me over. Cages filled with mythical monsters—very much like the ones I'd seen in the Palatinate Palace months ago—sat stacked atop one another, creating a small maze across the room.

Hunched over, I moved among the cages. The creatures snarled and cooed menacingly as I passed. Each wore a control medallion that sparkled with magic.

“Is please to be eating, Bright Eyes.”

Ahead, Gobek's pained voice rose above the sounds of the creatures. Kneeling, I squinted and looked around until I spotted Gobek near the center of the room. He was holding a tray of food, standing in front of a cage smaller than the rest.

“Is good food,” he said. “Is healthy food. Is not healthy not to eat.”

No response.

“Is upset. Gobek is knowing how to fix that. Is watching Gobek, Bright Eyes.”

Gobek set the tray down. His greasy flesh folded in on itself and, a moment later, he was a dweek—a giant, furry worm with a single eye at one end. The dweek wrapped itself into a coil, like a spring, and began bouncing back and forth between the ceiling and floor.

That did the trick. I heard a soft giggle. A
familiar
giggle. I moved closer and finally saw Aubrin sitting in the cage. She leaned against the bars as the dweek changed back into Gobek.

“Is smiling,” Gobek said, his teeth clenched. He moaned.

Aubrin reached out to him. “You're hurt.”

Gobek waved his hand. “Is always hurting. Is not to worry, Bright Eyes.”

“Please let me out, Gobek,” Aubrin whispered, flashing him her smile weapon.

Gobek looked unsure. “Is difficult, Bright Eyes. Is up to Overlord.”

Overlord?

“Gobek!”

A chill tickled my back. The voice had come from the far side of the room. I curled up into a ball, keeping one eye on Gobek. A tall figure stepped into the shadows and towered over the Creche's caretaker.

“The gaolglobes are howling,” the Overlord said. “Find out why.”

I
knew
the voice. But I couldn't place where I'd heard it before. I squinted at the tall silhouette in the darkness, trying to get a better look.

Gobek sighed. “Is always howling. Is set off by tiny things. Gobek is thinking gaolglobe magic is not very good.”

The Overlord roared. “Go!”

Gobek turned his large, sorrowful eyes toward Aubrin. “Is having learned her lesson, Overlord. Is maybe time to return her to other seers, yes?”

“She should have thought of that before she tried to start a rebellion with the other seers.”

I had to stifle a laugh. So
that's
why Aubrin had been removed from the seer dormitory. She'd done what any Grimjinx would have done: rallied the oppressed and tried to revolt. I'd never been more proud of my sister.

“And she still refuses to share her prophecies with us,” the Overlord continued. The silhouette shifted, stepping forward into the light to reveal a man. The candlelight reflected off his bald pate and a twisted face I'd tried very hard to forget over the last year.

It was Xerrus.

I could still picture his sanctum at the top of the Onyx Fortress in Splitscar Gorge. Bubbling cauldrons, balanx skeletons, and cages filled with creatures he'd fused together using forbidden magic. The fact he was here meant I'd been right. He'd been working for the Palatinate the whole time.

Xerrus walked slowly around Aubrin's cage. “But I think I've found a solution. One that will make her much more cooperative. You see, child, I once tried melding two creatures into one. It proved more difficult than I first thought. Then I turned my attention to making creatures out of pure magical energy. Gobek was my first real success. He made me realize that anything is possible.”

Xerrus dropped to one knee quickly and pressed his face up against the bars. Aubrin didn't even blink. “And I've been thinking: maybe I gave up on my initial experiments too quickly. Maybe there is still a benefit in fusing two creatures. How docile you'd be if I combined you with, say, a hedgewump.”

Gobek's slimy hands shook. “Is not necessary, Overlord. Gobek is knowing that Bright Eyes will be good girl.”

Xerrus lashed out, striking Gobek across the face. “I told you to go to the Athenaeum. Leave the augur to me.”

My hands balled into fists at my sides. I'd seen the results of Xerrus's experiments. The combined creatures were in constant misery. I couldn't let him touch Aubrin.

Xerrus stalked through a door on the far side of the room. I suddenly understood the
real
reason no adults were allowed in the Creche. It wasn't because adults made the seers nervous. It was because they'd be more likely to resist Xerrus. The servants were kids and easy to intimidate.

Gobek, looking ashamed, nudged the plate at Aubrin. “Is to be eating, Bright Eyes,” he said, before leaving.

Once she thought she was alone, Aubrin exhaled. She crawled over to the cage's lock and started to fiddle with it.

“He's right, Jinxface,” I said, emerging from hiding. “You really should eat something.”

Aubrin yelped. Then her face lit up as I approached. “Jaxter!”

We reached through the bars and hugged, but when she pulled back, her face had gone from happy to horrified.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“You thought we'd just let you stay here?” I asked. I took the vintage lockpicks from my wristband and slipped them into the lock on the cage door. I could feel the tumblers inside the lock move away from my picks. The lock snickered.

Zoc. It was a Moxnar.

“I hate sentient locks,” I muttered. At least it was only a Class 2. They had the ability to twist their innards around, making it hard for lockpicks to stay in place. A Class 4 could actually call out to warn its owner. Undaunted, I thrust my picks down the lock's barrel and wrestled for control of the Moxnar's tumblers.

Aubrin shook her head and gripped the bars. “Jaxter, you have to leave right now.”

“Hey, calm down, Jinxface,” I said. “I've got Maloch and Callie with me and we've got a plan.”

“You have to go!” She was full-on sobbing. “Don't you understand? By coming here, it means you're going to die!”