The Keystone Staff Page 4

  Chapter Eight: Kera

  The spiral road was far more narrow than Kera imagined. Looking over the side of the road gave her a sharp sense of vertigo.

  Shops and homes had been carved intricately into rock and, at one time, Kera could imagine that the entire city looked like an explosion of color. But the paint on the exterior had peeled and cracked off the rose-red stone. There were few citizens milling about but she couldn't tell if the city had been evacuated or whether its people were hiding.

  Their party came upon a massive façade of four pillars holding up a roof -- at least that was what the carved stone was meant to look like. The guards escorted them past the wooden doors and into the entrance hall. In contrast to the city outside, the interior of the building was bustling with Elderland soldiers. The inside was cut entirely from the rock but the paint seemed to fare better when not exposed to the elements.

  The three were ushered through several hallways and brought before another heavy wooden entrance. One of the guards knocked on the door, which was quickly opened. The party walked into a large chamber peppered with pillars and guards. At the other end of the room, a man emerged from behind a large desk. The Prefect, Kera guessed.

  He was a slender man of average height with brown skin and white, tightly curled hair. He wore a simple blue mantle tied off at the waist with a golden cord. The guards did nothing to stop Jorthen from walking towards the center of the room where the Prefect met him. The two men clasped hands as friends.

  "Prefect Galeck," Jorthen said, "may I present my associates Captain Fitch and Warden Kera."

  "Well met," Galeck said. He turned back to Jorthen. "We expected you to arrive with the others."

  "I was forced to change plans. Things did not go my way."

  "Ah. So what shall we do with your... associates?"

  "The girl remains with me but the crew of the Silent Star can face whatever justice you believe is necessary."

  Fitch shook with rage. "We wouldn't be here if you hadn't blackmailed me and dragged my crew here!"

  "Silence! Or I'll have your tongue," Galeck hissed. He turned back to Jorthen. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

  "One other thing, I need access to the old necropolis. I'm looking for the tomb of a man named Leonii who passed away sometime after the War of the Heavens."

  "The necropolis has a single corridor that spirals down by date, beginning with the founding of Qattan and its first death. There are thousands upon thousands of the dead entombed in those crypts. It would take months to find the resting place of a single man without knowing the date of his death."

  "I know the date," Kera interjected.

  Jorthen and Galeck paused and looked towards Kera. I don't know what you're up to Jorthen, or what game you're trying to play or even who's side you're on, she thought. What I do know is that you want the staff as soon as possible. And I know where to find Leonii's corpse.

  "When did he die?" Jorthen asked.

  "First," said Kera, "I want the crew of the Silent Star pardoned for any of their crimes."

  "Not possible," Galeck replied. "They broke the laws of my city. Justice must be served."

  "Then good luck finding the tomb."

  "I will guarantee their safety and grant them free passage once the current crisis has passed," Jorthen said.

  "You cannot do that," said Galeck.

  "You know where my authority comes from. It supersedes Qattan's justice. Time is short, and the crew is inconsequential."

  The Prefect crossed his arms. How does a Warden of Aeon outrank a Prefect of the United Elderlands? "Second," she said, "I want to leave with them."

  "No," Jorthen replied.

  Kera clenched her trembling fists. "Then there's no bargain."

  "And Prefect Galeck will have Captain Fitch's head, execute the entire crew of the Silent Star and burn the airship to ash. There are some things I will not negotiate. You've already secured their safety and freedom. I promise you that you will not be harmed but I need that date."

  "How do I know I can trust your word?"

  "You don't. But I give you a chance while the Prefect gives you none."

  She nodded her head in agreement. "I'll guide you there myself," she said. Kera hoped he would keep his word, whatever the outcome.

  "Good. Prefect Galeck, I expect the Night's Keep to arrive within hours."

  "We've already spotted her on the horizon," Galeck said.

  "When it arrives, moor the Silent Star to her and load the troops. Now, may I have my staff back?"

  Galeck nodded to a guard. Back in his possession, the stones in the staff faintly glowed before dimming again. "I'll take Kera and Captain Fitch with me," he said. "One more thing, there is a Witchwarrior aboard the airship. Tell your men to be wary."

  Prefect Galeck shook Jorthen's hand once more and wished him luck before showing him the door. Soon the trio was escorted back on the rose colored spiral road and towards the necropolis.

  ***

  The necropolis was repurposed as the fifth tower of Qattan's wall. Why it was called the fifth tower but the first completed before the city's walls went up, Kera hadn't any idea. There was no gate or portcullis to raise when they arrived but the archway was guarded. As they entered the base of the tower through an open doorway, their escort turned around and went back the way they came.

  Kera looked up and saw tombs go up the spiral staircase and vanish around the bend. These were the oldest tombs in the necropolis and rose until it met the newer section of the tower built for defense. They needed to go into the crypts. Kera grabbed the nearest torch and made her way down. Jorthen illuminated the luminstone on his staff and motioned for Fitch to walk in front of him.

  The trio started their long descent into the crypts. Qattan was founded in the First Epoch and the War of the Heavens marked the beginning of the Third Epoch so Leonii's tomb was deep beneath the surface. As they made their way down, the spiral staircase took longer concentric circles until it became a ramp with a slight incline. The tombs were narrow and lined either side of the walls but appeared more intricate as the years rolled on. The newer the tomb, the more likely it was to have an image or representation of the deceased on it.

  Fitch finally broke the silence. "Were you really going to let them execute me? I thought we were friends."

  Kera couldn't tell if Fitch was being sarcastic or genuine. She suspected that even Fitch was unsure whether he was being honest or not about their friendship.

  "We were never friends, we were useful to each other for a time," Jorthen answered. "That time is passed."

  "And now you have your own airship, what was it, the Night's Keep? You don't need me anymore. Even though the Ahrsai Treaty prohibits any airship to be owned or operated on behalf of any nation or for warfare."

  "Warfare?" Kera echoed.

  "Yes, warfare," Fitch said. "Where have you been this whole time? Our friend here is loading an army onto an airship. You only do that if you're planning to battle someone. If it can moor the Silent Star, it must be massive, far bigger than anything I've ever heard of. I'd love to know how it was built without the Freehold learning about it. And with all that, why are we looking for a dead man?"

  "The Night's Keep isn't an airship," Jorthen said. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you why we're in these crypts. Care to inform the good captain, Kera?"

  "We're looking for the Keystone Staff," Kera explained. "It's a staff adorned with a single unique stone. Every gemstone a Warden uses has a specific purpose: a Luminstone creates light, an Aerostone levitates, a Firegem creates flame. But the Keystone was cut a certain way from a rare, or even one of a kind, stone that allows its user to conjure anything they can imagine with ease. And in a purer, more powerful form. A Warden could fly faster, illuminate
brighter, and create fires that burn hotter."

  "And you want Jorthen here to have that kind of power?"

  "As I told you on the Silent Star, I'm here to do a job and go home."

  Fitch grabbed her by the right shoulder and spun her to face him. "I think that when all this is over, you won't have a home to go to. Who do you think Jorthen plans to attack?"

  Kera shrugged him off and continued down the path. Does that man ever stop talking? It already occurred to her that Jorthen was planning on sending troops into Valtan City. Whatever plans he had in the works, it may be too late to stop them. The best she could hope for was a warning to the Citadel before the attack came.

  She looked at the dates on the tombs and realized they were close. She put her torch over a tombstone and found what she was looking for.

  Kera's heart began racing. "This is it," she said and stepped back.

  Jorthen guided Captain Fitch towards the tomb, keeping an eye on him. He brightened his luminstone, revealing the name Leonii on the slab. The tomb was made of a blue-gray stone and on the lid was an engraved image of a man holding a staff with a single circle at its head.

  He touched his staff against the lid and the black Aerostone shimmered to life. The lid lifted into the air and he moved it out of the way to peer inside the tomb. There was Leonii's decomposed skeleton, dressed in the ceremonial robes of a Warden. The staff laid to the right of the corpse. But where the Keystone should be, there was nothing.

  "I don't understand," Jorthen began. "Where's the Keystone?"

  Before he knew what was happening, Kera swept her foot underneath him, knocking him to the floor as the staff fell away. She grabbed it and pointed the rod at his chest. The stones lit up.

  Remembering her years of training, she activated the Firegem with little effort and the head of the stave erupted into flames. Jorthen backed away.

  Previous attempts at igniting a Firegem used most of her concentration to create fire. Now most of her mental effort was used to keep the entire tunnel from being engulfed in flames.

  "Fitch!" she shouted. "Hold on to me!" Fitch stepped around Jorthen and the fiery staff and wrapped his arms around Kera. Kera felt all the stones in the staff in a way she had never before. Her heart raced. What used to require effort and concentration was now so familiar that the stones felt like an extension of her body. Now she concentrated on not using too much power through a stone, lest she shatter it as she did her Luminstone.

  The Firegem dimmed, died out, and the black Aerostone shimmered to life. Fitch held on to Kera as their feet left the ground. They both felt lighter than a feather. Kera pointed the head of the staff back up through the crypts and accelerated the way they came. Her crimson shawl and gown danced with Fitch's long green coat.

  The two gained momentum until Kera heard a creak and looked down at the Aerostone. She was using too much power and the stone threatened to snap off the staff. She eased the amount of energy she put into the Lenstone as they flew out of the necropolis gate and into the sky.

  Higher and higher they rose until they cleared Qattan's wall. At first, Kera didn't understand what she was seeing. Where there was once only a flat, semi-arid desert; there was now a fort with the Silent Star anchored to it.

  After a moment, she understood where the fort came from. The fort wasn't touching the earth, it floated above it. And it was moving. Kera landed them on the top deck of the Silent Star.

  "We need to free my crew," Fitch said.

  Before they could make their way to the brig, someone else landed on the top deck. It was a young woman with green eyes and wild shoulder-length black hair, holding a Warden's staff. Kera didn't recognize her and pointed her staff at the intruder. "Who are you?" Kera asked.

  "Ah, I suppose Jorthen hasn't explained that part yet," the green eyed woman said. "Where is he?"

  Kera swung her staff and ignited the blue Snowstone, firing shards of ice. The green-eyed woman raised her arms and the icicles crashed against a green barrier of energy. She lowered her arms and activated the Luminstone. The light was so intense that it burned into Kera's eyes.

  "I don't know what's going on but I don't have time for this," said the green-eyed woman.

  A thunder crack rang out. Kera felt intense pain. And the spots of light that blinded her eyes were now replaced with blackness as she lost consciousness.

  Chapter Nine: Vessa

  The brig was crowded with the Silent Star's skymen. Vessa wondered how long the Qattanians would keep them locked away on their own airship, and what they had done with the captain.

  I should just try to set fire to the door and break out, she thought. Fitch had always warned her about using her powers in front of anyone and only to use them if her life was in imminent danger. The crew had been completely unaware and she would like to keep it that way. Besides, she only knew how to manipulate fire and that may not be the best weapon of choice on a ship made of wood.

  Captain Fitch had been gone for hours. Almost an hour ago, she felt tow-cables latch onto the hull to raise the ship. The Qattanians emptied the ballonets slightly to help raise the Silent Star but now the starboard bow of the airship listed on an angle. Amateurs, Vessa thought. She did not understand, however, what the Silent Star was anchored to as there was nothing above Qattan but sky.

  "Rogo," she said. "We need to get out of here."

  "Aye, and how would you want us do that?" he asked.

  "Could we batter down the door? There's a hidden cache of weapons just around the bend."

  "Hmm. There's enough manpower in this cell for that, I would say. The noise would draw the attention of the guards who could start firing crossbow bolts through the wicket. Even if they don't, once the door is down the doorway would be a bottleneck. It would be a bloodbath."

  Vessa tried to figure another way out of the brig but she knew it was one of the few reinforced portions of the ship. The room was surrounded by iron bars in the ship's crawl spaces. Even if they could pry the wooden planks apart, they would need to cut through the bars. There was still no way out except through the narrow door. If we make it out alive, I'll have to install a secret escape hatch, she thought.

  Before she could devise a plan, something thumped against the outside of the door and slid down. After a moment, whatever fell against the door was dragged away. Then the wicket slid open but no one was there. Vessa chanced a quick look out the window and saw the three guards dead on the floor, blood gushing out of their necks.

  "Who's there?" Vessa asked.

  "Yominai," a voice answered.

  The door was unlocked and opened. Vessa stepped out and peered from side to side but still saw no one. The Witchwarrior.

  "If you just came to free us so you can take us as property I'll cut your head off and mount it to the ship's bow."

  "No need. The soldiers are looking for me and once my invisibility potion wears off, they'll do the work for you. I need your help... and you could use mine."

  "Fine. Rogo, let's remove our uninvited guests from our home."

  The group made their way around the corner to a series of planks that were easily pried from the wall. Vessa took out a pair of crossbows and handed them to crew members with the truest aim. Rogo and their best swordsmen received whatever bladed weapons were in this cache. There weren't enough weapons stored here to equip everyone and the rest remained unarmed. They made their way down the corridor, meeting little resistance. A Qattan soldier here and there was quickly dispatched by bolt or by sword.

  "Witch, how many men are aboard the ship?" Vessa asked.

  "Only a small skeleton crew. But Captain Fitch and Kera have been taken prisoner," the answer came from nowhere. "I saw them on the top deck but couldn't get to them in time. There's another Warden who attacked them."

  "Are they a
live?"

  "I believe so."

  Just ahead a Qattanian soldier drew his sword but a bolt from a crossbow struck the man in the left eye. Rogo removed a few wooden panels from the wall where a second cache of weapons had been hidden. Now that their entire party was armed, she ordered Rogo to take half their group and clear out the lower decks. Her party would take the hoist up to deal with whoever was on the upper-decks, where both of them would meet.

  Rogo took his men down a corridor as Vessa ascended the hoist with her group. The upper decks were almost entirely deserted. Her group made their way through the empty mess and up the flight of stairs. The remaining Qattanian soldiers were spread thin over the top deck and easily overwhelmed. Vessa could finally peer over the side of the airship and see what they were anchored to but her mind didn't believe what she saw. A hundred feet below was small wooden fort built on top of a giant slab of rock, as if carved from the side of a mountain, floating above Old Qattan.

  A flying fortress? Vessa's thoughts ran wild. The Silent Star is judicious about the weight it carries so it could fly. How could the Elderlands produce a small mountain with a fort atop that is lighter than air? Under the fort, Vessa noticed that troops were gathering, ready to be winched up.

  "That," Yominai's disembodied voice said, "is where Captain Fitch and Kera have been taken."

  Rogo appeared from belowdecks and informed Vessa that the ship was theirs. She showed him their next obstacle a hundred feet beneath them. "By Delora's teets!" was all he said.

  "The captain is down there," said Vessa. "We need to get him out before more soldiers are brought aboard."

  "We could land the ship."

  "They'll see us coming. As soon as we land, the Qattanians will try to secure the Star. We need surprise on our side to rescue the captain and get him out as quickly as possible."

  "Aye, and how do you plan to do that? Jump down?"

  Vessa's eyes went wide. "I need you to command the ship while I take a small force into that fort. With any luck, we'll have freed the captain by the time you land."