The Warlock Senator (Book 2) Read online

  Al turned and surveyed the area below. “Let’s move a little farther east before we climb up. I don’t want to risk being seen by any guards.”

  “Bah,” Alferug said with a wave. “They won’t be paying attention to the mountainside. They barely stand watch at the gate as it is.”

  Al shrugged. “Still, better to be cautious.” He made his way along the shelf. At times the flat shelf gave way to steep drops where rockslides had occurred over the years. A man might have easily fallen down any one of the dangerous slopes, but Al was a dwarf. His feet were in tune with the mountain and the rock. He often joked that when it came to climbing mountains, dwarves were more akin to goats than to their taller human cousins.

  They walked for the space of an hour before Al judged they had gone far enough to avoid any possible detection. He scanned the ascending slopes, looking for the best route up the mountain. It didn’t take him long. He pointed a sausage-like finger at a jagged crevice and went straight to it. His hands found purchase quickly and his feet propelled him up. He had all but forgotten how much he enjoyed the feel of rock in his hands. A part of him began to come alive that had long lain dormant. A great smile stretched across his face and he increased his pace, scrambling up the mountain as though he were a strong summer wind, bending up to crest over the peak.

  Once they arrived at the second shelf, Al led them on a winding trail to a place near the back of the mountain. They were about two thirds of the way up the great peak, but Al knew there was no cause to go any higher. The door was somewhere nearby. The trick was to find it.

  “We’ll make camp over there,” Al said, pointing to a flat area recessed in a small nook where the mountain curved into itself and hidden by a patch of scrub oak. “I have some biscuits we can share until nightfall.”

  “Why wait?” Alferug asked. “I thought you said that time was of the essence.”

  Al nodded. “We can only see the door when the moon shines upon the mountain.”

  “Ah,” Alferug said. “A moonstone?” he asked.

  “Aye, a moonstone is set above the doorway. It glows blue in the moonlight. It should be somewhere nearby.”

  The two of them rolled a couple of sizeable rocks out onto the flat area so they could sit comfortably while they waited. Al reached into his backpack and pulled out three whole biscuits and the remnants of one that had obviously been smashed during the climb.

  “I’m sorry I have nothing to contribute,” Alferug offered.

  “I’ll take the broken bits and one more,” Al said. He gave the other two whole biscuits to Alferug. “Tell me what caused my brother to expel you from the court.”

  Alferug frowned and tugged on his long, gray beard. “There isn’t much to tell, I’m afraid. It happened when Master Lepkin and Senator Bracken visited the king.”

  “Master Lepkin came with Senator Bracken?” Al asked.

  “No, they came separately, but were seen at the same time by your brother,” Alferug clarified. “Anyway, they spoke to him and Master Lepkin asked whether King Threnton would come to King Mathias’ aid in battle if the need arose. Your brother told him exactly what he thought of the tall folk and then expelled Lepkin from Roegudok Hall.”

  “To imagine that the dwarf king should dishonor the Keeper of Secrets so,” Al murmured.

  “It gets worse,” Alferug said. “Master Lepkin insulted your brother pretty harshly.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Well, your brother had just finished renouncing the Ancients, so Lepkin told him that for the sake of the dwarves he hoped that Threnton would not live to be king for much longer.”

  Al choked on a bit of biscuit and coughed violently. After successfully dislodging the dry bite from his throat he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t imagine that set well with my brother at all.”

  “No,” Alferug confirmed. “And that is why I was sent packing along with him. Expelled and forbidden to return.”

  “Well, no more forbidden,” Al said. “Whether I choose it or not, I do believe the time has come to put the sense back in my brother’s head.”

  “I said it before, but he won’t sit idly and let you in.” Alferug took a big bite of biscuit.

  “I know,” Al said. “But I don’t have much choice in the matter. He has what I need and the fool is too blind to see what is happening around him.” He took a bite and swallowed without chewing. “Senator Bracken was actually a warlock imposter,” he put in. He watched Alferug’s disbelieving eyes and took another bite. “It’s true,” Al said through a mouthful. “I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know exactly what he was planning, but he was an evil, evil man. Threnton should have paid more attention to the affairs of men, then perhaps he would know what perils lie in wait for our people should we fail to act.” Al slid down to the ground, kicked his feet out in front and crossed his legs at the ankles as he leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes. He was long overdue for some rest, and there would be a few hours yet to wait before the moon would be high enough to reveal the door.

  Alferug sat silently, allowing Al to rest. He finished his dry biscuits and then walked to the edge of the slope they were on to look out. To the east he could just make out the great, jagged snowcapped mountains that separated the Middle Kingdom from the lands of the Tarthun barbarians and raiders. Slowly he brought his gaze down and swept it out across to the west. Everything looked so still and peaceful. To some it would have been an amazing, beautiful scene to behold. Alferug wrinkled his nose and walked back to his seat. He preferred the cool, damp air of his underground home.

  He sat still, like a gargoyle perched upon the rock, until the sun dropped behind the western horizon and ushered in the dark night. Stars began to appear as the last colors of the day faded away. Twinkling blue and green dots littered the sky, fighting the night’s shadow as best they could, but no moon shone. Alferug searched the sky. His eyes were used to discerning shapes and objects in the dark, so for him it was easy to spot the massive, thick clouds that hung in the air, blocking the moon.

  “Well, that is some luck to have tonight,” Alferug mumbled to himself. He glanced back to Al and rubbed his hands over his knees. “Never would have dreamed that the rightful king would return, and certainly not like this,” Alferug said to himself. He rose to his feet and scanned the side of the mountain, searching the crags and nooks for any sign of a glowing moonstone. After failing to locate anything he moved in close to the rock wall and ran his fingers over the hard, unyielding stone. He moved his hands over every reachable inch in the next hour and a half before he finally gave up and cursed the clouds.

  “What is the matter?”

  Alferug shook his head. “I can’t find the doorway, and the clouds have blotted out the moon. We will not be able to gain entrance this night.”

  “And why should that trouble you so, my old friend?”

  Alferug looked up, expecting to see Al, but instead he saw a familiar face from years long past. The dwarf looked much like Al, strong and sturdily built, with eyes that held much wisdom. Only this dwarf had died a long time ago. It was Al’s father, the former dwarf king. His body seemed to glow faintly, as though he were made of the same essence as the blue stars above. “My king,” Alferug greeted humbly as he dropped to one knee.

  “Alferug, my friend and loyal servant, you have no need to bow to me now.” He moved forward, floating more than walking.

  Alferug looked up, but remained on his knee. “I have failed our people, your highness. They have turned their backs on the Ancients, and forsaken our pact with the humans.”

  The king smiled warmly. “Our people have been misled, but they have not altogether forgotten their way. They only need someone to show them the correct path.” The ghost turned and gazed upon his sleeping son. “Long have I waited to see him return.”

  “Shall I wake him?” Alferug asked.

  The king turned back and smiled. “My time grows short. Listen carefully. I will move the clouds and show yo
u the door. You and my son will enter and travel along the corridor which will bring you into a private chamber used by kings past to read and meditate. You will be discovered shortly after that and imprisoned. Tell my son to remember the fishing hole we used to frequent when he was a small child. That will help him escape. Then he should challenge Threnton in front of the court. It is of the utmost importance that the entire court be assembled when he issues the challenge. Only then will there be enough support.” As soon as the king stopped speaking, he faded away into the night.

  “My king, don’t leave,” Alferug pleaded. No response came. The delight he had been filled with upon seeing his dear friend now flittered away, leaving him alone and void. He sighed and wiped a single tear from his right eye. He rose to his feet and glanced back to Al, still sleeping as peacefully as he had been before. Suddenly the area around Al became illuminated with pale, silvery light. Alferug looked up to the sky as a fierce wind pulled his long beard to the side. He smiled as the massive, thick clouds sailed away, uncovering the full moon. “Time to wake Al,” he told himself.

  Alferug bounded over to Al and poked him on the shoulder. “It’s time!”

  Al’s eyes snapped open and he jumped up to his feet in one fluid motion. He looked up to the moon and nodded. “My father’s spirit is with us this night, I can feel it,” he said. Al clapped his companion on the shoulder and moved around him to scan the rocks. It barely took more than a minute to locate the glowing stone. “There,” Al said.

  “Incredible,” Alferug commented. “I was searching for the door with my hands, and I am certain I ran them over that very spot at least twice.”

  Al chuckled. “The door is not simply invisible, it is sealed in the rock until the moonstone glows. Even had you known its exact location, you would not be able to open it so long as the moonstone is dark.” Al rushed over and placed his hand below the moonstone. “I Aldehenkaru’hktanah Sit’marihu, command the door of kings to open and allow entrance to Roegudok Hall.”

  The mountain groaned. Shale and pebbles bounced and vibrated away from the landing they stood upon as the rock itself came alive, sliding and scraping as it writhed before them. A massive, arched slab of slate and granite removed itself to the side and revealed a shallow cavern that covered a glowing blue doorway, covered in runes and designs of stars and moons.

  Al walked inside without hesitating. He reached up to the side of the cavern, grasping a brass tube.

  “What is that?” Alferug asked.

  “It is the secondary key.” As Al twisted the brass tube a stream of light emerged from the end and shone upon a small spot on the door. Satisfied that he had adjusted the light correctly, Al walked forward to the door.

  “It appears a jewel is missing,” Alferug pointed out.

  “Indeed,” Al said. He traced his finger in the empty space where a jewel should be and let the light from the brass tube dance upon his skin for a moment. “Our ancestors were quite clever.” Al reached up and pulled a thin leather thong from around his neck up and over his head. “My father passed this to me when he told me of the rear door.” Al lifted the thong to reveal a small, wooden sphere. He place his hands on either side and twisted once, separating the two halves. Then he slid a covering away to reveal a pink gemstone. He placed the stone into the empty mount on the door and took a step back.

  The silver light from the tube refracted in the pink gem, splitting its light and sending rays to the several other blue stones in the door. The runes sang in answer to the light and the door glowed brighter as each of the jewels soaked in the light.

  “Why does it not open?” Alferug asked.

  “Patience,” Al said. “There is yet a third key.”

  Al stood waiting as the door grew brighter and brighter. As the brilliance grew, the two dwarves shielded their faces until their eyes adjusted to the intense light. As the entire cave danced with the dazzling colors emitted from the stones, a pattern became visible in the center of the door. A golden dragon’s face glowed in the stone itself.

  “It is a reminder of the Ancients, who gave us life and built our home,” Al stated simply. “It is also the third key.” He stepped forward and put his forehead to the image of the dragon’s head, locking eyes with the glowing eyes in the stone. A yellow light emerged and created a conduit between Al and the image in the door. The light was warm, and inviting as it entered his eyes gently. The whole ordeal lasted only a few seconds before the light pulled back and the golden dragon turned white. Then the door simply vanished, allowing entrance into the great dwarven kingdom.

  “Incredible,” Alferug said.

  Al turned back and smiled. “Like I said, they were clever.”

  Alferug dropped to a knee, “My king,” he said.

  Al shot him a confused look and told him to rise. “I am not king yet,” he said. “Let’s get moving.”

  The counselor did as he was told and the two walked through the corridor until it came to an end. The wall was smooth and flat.

  “A fourth key?” Alferug asked.

  Al shook his head. “No, the keys are only used at the entrance. My father said there would be a secret button to push in the left side wall near the end. Al ran his hands over the surface and grinned when he wiped away a patch of old, dry clay to reveal a small hole. He wiggled his pinky finger in and depressed the button inside. A series of clicks and snaps were heard. Then the sound of a heavy chain winding around a windlass echoed through the cave above the din of the stone slab sliding up into its sheath.

  Al stepped through, into a round chamber filled with shelves stocked with books and tomes. The domed ceiling gleamed with magic stones that emitted a vibrant light. The desk in the center was covered with a thick layer of dust, as were the two books resting atop the desk’s surface. Al walked over to the desk and gently opened the nearest book.

  “My father must have been the last person to use this library,” Al said.

  Alferug nodded thoughtfully and scanned the room, twirling about in place as he took it all in. “Even I never knew such a hall existed here. Surely this must be the wealth of kings that your father always referred to.”

  Al chuckled. “Threnton always thought the wealth of kings was some lost mine in the lower depths. He used to bait me into following him down there when we were younger.” The smile on Al’s face disappeared then as he realized the gravity of his purpose. “Come, there will be time for reflection later.” Al walked to the other side of the room where a large window was fitted into the wall with a hefty golden frame around it. “Do you recognize this?”

  Alferug approached and nodded. “It appears to be the hall in front of the king’s bedchamber.”

  “That is curious,” Al commented. “I must have passed by this mirror hundreds, maybe thousands of times before I left Roegudok Hall. I never would have guessed it concealed this room.” Al reached out and pulled the jeweled handle on the glass door.

  The heavy door moved silently on perfectly hung hinges. The two of them stepped through and the door closed behind them. Al turned and inspected the mirror. There were no indications how the portal would open from this side. He heard a faint click and knew that the door had sealed from the inside. He gently pressed on the glass, but it held firm, as though it did indeed hang upon a wall of stone.

  “Very clever,” Al said.

  “Halt!” a voice shouted from farther down the hall.

  Al turned to see a trio of guards coming around the bend in the hall. His hand curled into a fist and he shook his head. “I am Aldehenkaru’hktanah Sit’marihu, and I have come to see my brother.”

  “Stonebubbles,” one of the guards cursed. “Apprehend them both!”

  Another guard retrieved a small whistle made of bone and blew forcefully. The door at the other end of the hall opened and another trio of guards came rushing into the hall from the other side.

  “Al, listen to me,” Alferug pleaded. “Do you remember the fishing hole you used to frequent with your father?”


  Al turned a bewildered eye on Alferug. “What are you talking about?” A sudden blow knocked the air out of Al’s lungs and the dwarf fell to the ground. Out of his peripheral vision he saw numerous boots swarming around him. He felt a series of kicks and jabs and then hands moved quickly upon him, stripping him of his gear. He faintly heard Alferug cry out as others descended upon him. Then everything became dark.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Erik blinked his eyes a few times, clearing the blurry scene around him. A heap of bloody rags sat in a large ceramic bowl upon a small round nightstand next to him. His body ached, but he could move again. He slowly reached up with his right hand and pulled the blanket away to inspect his wounds. His shoulder was bandaged, and only a small round spot of blood was visible. Shifting his gaze down to his left leg he saw that almost his entire thigh was wrapped in bandages. He bent his right arm back to prop himself up and then he wiggled the toes on his left foot.

  “You lost a lot of blood, but fortune was on our side yesterday,” Braun said. “The king’s guard who brought us here returned shortly after I managed to stop the blood and he was able to send for a healer.” Braun smiled. “The healer worked into the late evening making sure the wounds were closed properly and casting spells to ward off infections.”

  Erik nodded and looked to his left. “Thank you Braun,” Erik said.

  Braun nodded and rose from his chair. He wiped a hand over his face and then approached the bedside. “How is Erik?” Braun asked.

  Erik smiled and looked back down to his leg. “He is alright,” he said.

  “No one else is here,” Braun said. “Gildrin is downstairs preparing new clothes for you, and the healer has gone out to get some things from the apothecary.”

  Erik shot Braun a confused look.

  “Tell me the truth,” Braun pressed. “I heard you cry out for your father last night.” Braun put a hand on Erik’s left arm. “I wouldn’t believe it, had I not heard you myself.”