The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 (40 page)

Why would
there be Red Jacket Honey here?

Your memory really does suck,
Cathy
chuckled
. Natalie said that it was used as
a healing ointment. The Evenawks would have it ready to heal any
wounds.

I searched
through the infirmaries supplies and surely enough there was a
container of Red Jacket Honey.

Good call.

I put the
container in my pocket and noticed for the first time that the maps
were gone. It made sense for Desroche to take everything out of my
pockets before throwing me in jail. I would have to get those back.
I crossed the room to the door and opened it a crack. The main hall
and corridor were empty and I exited the infirmary.

Heading in the
opposite direction of the main entrance, I dropped the Illusion on
the front door guards as soon as I was out of sight. The stairs to
the next level waited for me and I stretched my mind to see what
was on the next floor. I felt three more minds and reached out and
planted my spell.

I walked up
the stairs and turned into a long hallway that stretched the length
of the building. On the other side were the stairs to the next
level. Only a single Evenawk patrolled the hallway but I could feel
the other two in a room on this level. Most of the doors were
closed except a couple half ways down the hallway. I couldn’t make
out any energy from those rooms.

I waited until
the guard was on my side of the hallway then followed him as he
walked back to the other side. I couldn’t resist mimicking the
almost waddling way the Evenawks walked.

The first
opened door revealed a bedroom with nobody in it. The second open
door was an empty meeting room so I slipped in and waited for the
guard to return walking the other way. Once he passed, I exited the
room and walked the remaining distance to the stairs.

I dropped the
Illusion spell for the two Evenawks in the room and checked the top
floor. There was a single Evenawk guard near the top and the
massive energy reading that could only be Desroche. I planted the
Illusion spell on the Evenawk and slowing climbed the stairs. When
I was able to peek up onto the next floor, I noticed that Spencer
was still missing.

Perhaps he is
leading the defences.

Don’t fool yourself,
Cathy
said.
Stay sharp.

I entered the
top floor and crept up to the guard. He stared through me with a
bored expression on his face. I placed my hand above his chest and
force power through it. The Ice Bolt pierced his heart and a small
gasp escaped him as he looked surprised. I grabbed him and slowly
lowered him to the ground.

With the guard
on the ground, I opened the door slowly and peeked in. The ‘Great’
Desroche was holding onto my Staff and looking out the window. The
light shining in meant the sun was starting to rise. He was going
to watch the destruction of the Evenawks like it was a game.

I checked
around for Spencer but still couldn’t find him. Luckily there
wasn’t anywhere in this room he could hide. I opened the door
enough so I could slip in. I left the door sort of open so I
wouldn’t risk it making a sound.

My possessions
were stacked on a table along the far wall. I slowly crept over to
them looking for my short sword. It was buried under too much stuff
to move quietly so I went with the next best thing.

I picked up
the frying pan.

No way,
Cathy
said
. Leader of the Mages in the capital
of the Evenawks and you’re going to smack him with a frying
pan?

It’s a dirty
job but someone has to do it.

I crept slowly
towards Desroche, watching both him and the floor. A groove in the
floor looked like it would squeak if I walked on it so I avoided it
completely to be safe. As I drew near Desroche, I raised the frying
pan. He turned around, I guess heading back to the table, and
almost walked into me.

“
You...” he started before the frying pan connected with his
face.

I immediately
attack him again and again, the sounds of the frying pan ringing
out into the morning. Desroche collapsed unconscious onto the
ground.

Cathy chuckled.
Only you could get
away with defeating someone with a frying pan.

I’ll take that
as a complement.

The floor
squeaked behind me and I immediately turned the skin under my robe
into scales and waited for the strike. A hand squeezed my shoulder
and the area grew warm. I turned to look at Mage Spencer. He looked
at my shoulder in shock before looking at me.

I hit him in
the face with the frying pan.

Chapter 34

Mage Spencer
and the ‘Great’ Desroche lay unconscious on the floor while my
frying pan was sporting a more distorted look then when I first
picked it up.

I think its
frying days are over, Cathy said.

It could still
fry up a little...justice.

...Wow that was terrible!
Cathy
said
. I mean, where do you get those? I’m
in your head and even I don’t know where that came from.

So comedy
isn’t my thing.

And you should stop trying,
Cathy
finished
. You’ve been strange since I
freed from the Binds. You have to snap out of it, the sun has
risen.

Sure enough as
I looked out the window the rising sun was clearing the horizon.
The Evenawks would be flying to battle and would have to face the
two, fully aware, defence towers. I needed to get to them quickly
and try to disable them.

First, we need to take care of Desroche and Spencer
here,
Cathy said.

Hmm. How about
binding them with the Red Jacket Honey? The Evenawks can take care
of them after they win.

Works for me,
she
said
. Hurry
.

I grabbed
Desroche and dragged him over to Spencer’s body. I looked around
the room for the first time and noticed things I didn’t before, a
bed, dresser, lots of windows and a small room off to the far side
with a toilet. This must have been the Chieftain’s old personal
quarters.

This could
work out in my favour.

I grabbed the
sheets from the bed and some shirts from the dresser and brought
them over to the bodies. I went to my personal items and grabbed my
short sword. Cutting the sheets and shirts into strips I prepared
to bind their hands and heads.

Don’t forget to scale your hands for protection,
Cathy said.

I stopped and
laughed softly. I would have totally forgotten.

Seriously, you might have to take a couple of days off to get
your head on straight,
Cathy
said.

I took out the
container of Red Jacket Honey and covered both my hands in scales.
Smearing the honey over the strips, I bound the hands of Desroche
and Spencer before wrapping their heads. Hopefully, the honey would
be enough to keep them disoriented long enough for the Evenawks to
take back the city. With a large bed sheet, I wrapped both of them
together for added reassurance. Content with the restraints, I
gathered my belongings.

I couldn’t
find my hat amongst my belongings and sighed as I looked for a
garbage can. Most likely it would be on the top of the pile. To my
surprise it was being used AS a garbage can. I picked it up and
dumped out the scrap parchments while Cathy’s laughter filled my
head. With the hat on my head, and pack on my back, it was time to
head out.

I stopped at
the door to the Desroche’s personal quarters. It would take a long
time to sneak through the house and city, tricking the guards with
my Illusion spells. Fighting also wasn't a viable approach because
of the time constraint. I headed to the window facing away from the
city and looked down. The branches looked sturdy enough to hold my
weight and I climbed out of the window onto the first branch.

Slowly and
steady, I dropped down from branch to branch until I was on the
lowest one. I was still too high to jump to the ground so searched
around for another way. An idea came to mind and I hid it from
Cathy.

Now why would you do that,
she said
as she tried to probe around in my mind.
How are you doing this?

Hold onto
something.

Is that a joke because I don’t have hands?
She asked.

I rearranged
my pack and pulled out my short sword. Driving the short sword into
the tree with both hands, I stepped off the branch. The sword
skipped against the bark and I pushed all my strength into keeping
it into the bark. I fell too quickly and the sword shot out of my
hands as I fell backwards. I landed hard on the pack and rolled
quickly out of the way as the sword struck the ground into my
hat.

Bravo
, Cathy said
sarcastically.

I know, I
know.

My only advice was to NOT fall out of the trees,
Cathy said.

We’re on the
ground, aren’t we?

Did you break anything?
She
asked.

I slipped out
of my pack’s straps and opened it up. Everything looked in order
and the Staff and Demon’s Bane were in one piece. I stood up and
groaned as my back felt stiff. I reached round with my hand and fed
power through it to heal the muscles. I picked up the pack, sword
and hat and headed for the front gates.

Ahead of me, I
could make out the beginning of the battle. The Evenawk flying
archers swarmed the towers trying to shoot the Mages inside. The
towers launched massive Fire Balls that engulfed any Evenawk
unlucky enough to be caught in its path. I pushed myself to go
faster. The figure of the old lady gatekeeper grew larger and she
turned around and smiled at me. I immediately covered my whole body
in scales. I wasn’t going to trust Grandma Smiley again.

Unusually
quick for her age, she raised her hand and launched a steady stream
of Ice at me. I stopped and threw my scaled hands over my face as
the icy feeling covered my whole body. The ice was starting to
accumulate on my body and I focused power into my hands as I turned
my palms towards her. Fire erupted from my hands and I pressed the
power towards her as my fire melted her ice attack.

We continued
to push but despite Grandma Smiley’s power, she grew tired and my
fire reached her. She screamed out as the flames engulfed her body.
Her screams alerted two Mages who were operating the front gate
mechanism. They abandoned their post and approached me. I
straightened my hat and brushed some of the ice chunks off my robe
before pulling out my sword. The Mages hesitated but stretched out
their hands towards me as they came to a stop.

I guess I’ll
have to do all the moving.

Keep attacking one to keep his shield up
, Cathy said.
Save you from having
to block two separate attacks
.

I stretched
out my left hand and sent a Pulse at the closest Mage. He blocked
it with a Ward and the other Mage shot an Ice Bolt at me. It was
directed at my chest and I didn’t react as it shattered painlessly
on my chest.

My focus
remained on the first Mage and he started to back up as I launched
another Pulse at him. He blocked it again and kept his shield up.
As I closed in, I send another Pulse and drove my sword forward. He
managed to successfully block the Pulse as my sword plunged into
his chest. I quickly spun him around towards the other Mage in time
to block an incoming Ice Bolt. The Ice pierced the Mage in the back
and I dropped him to the ground. The second Mage’s face wrinkled as
he tried to figure out how to beat my Harden Skin spell.

He should aim for the head. It’s pretty much wide up,
Cathy said.

I’m SO glad
you don’t have the power to talk. Is it necessary for him to know
the weakness?

I’m just shocked nobody has figured this out sooner,
Cathy mused.
The easiest
way to beat you is to attack your face then charge you when you
block their attack with your hands. You’d be dead if anyone had any
sword skills around here.

Comforting!

I’m just saying,
Cathy said as
Wrinkles started to circle me looking for a chance to
strike.
Besides, it is better to learn
your weakness now, instead of when someone shoves a sword through
your chest.

Good
point.

I launched a
Pulse at him and he blocked it easily. I used the opportunity to
move closer. He started to back up and I launched a Dispel at him.
He dodged it and I charged at him. He sent a Pulse at me that I
blocked with my hand before he launched a stream of lightning at my
sword. The sword acted as a conductor and pain shot through my
hand. I dropped the sword and staggered back. He hit me with
another Pulse and I was pushed off my feet and onto my back.

I struggled to
get to my feet with the pack and Wrinkles picked up my sword and
advanced towards me. Every time I tried to back away, he would
shoot a Pulse at me to keep me off balance. I finally got fed up
and threw up a Ward so I could get back to me feet. Wrinkles smiled
in his wrinkly way but all that changed as an arrow struck him in
the shoulder. He dropped the sword and I dropped the Ward. I
stretched out and launched an Ice Bolt that pierced him in the
heart.

He dropped to
the ground and I looked around for the shooter and saw a tall
Evenawk hovering above the ground close by.

“
I figure that makes us even,” Nerrilok called out as he
transformed and touched the ground.