The shriek came from the barracks and Rejji turned his head to look as they raced towards the palace. Dozens of hellsouls poured out of the building and Rejji shouted a warning.
“Hellsouls on our left,” called Rejji.
“And more on our right,” added Mobi. “This is going to be close. Grank and I will try to protect our rear while you enter the palace.”
Mistake shot ahead and bounded up the stairs to the palace as the hellsouls converged on the rest of the party. She threw the door open and entered the building as Rejji and Bakhai reached the bottom of the steps. She turned and watched as Mobi and Grank shoved their spears at the first hellsouls to catch up to the party. Rejji turned and raised his sword to a hellsoul that had come around from the side of the palace. The hellsoul swung its sword at Rejji and Rejji blocked it with his sword. The swords clanged when they met and Rejji’s blade snapped just above the hilt. Bakhai grabbed Rejji from behind and pulled him clear as the creature swung again. Mistake hurled a dagger that caught the hellsoul in the head and its body fell to the ground. Rejji and Bakhai raced into the palace as Mobi and Grank back up the stairs while fending off the hellsouls.
“Do not let their blades touch you,” warned Mobi.
“This door has braces,” shouted Bakhai. “We need to find the bar for it.”
Mistake was the only one to have brought a torch from the temple and she held it as high as she could, while Bakhai and Rejji scrambled to each side of the massive doors in search of the bar.
“Over here,” shouted Bakhai as Mobi and Grank entered the building. “It is too heavy for me to lift.”
Mobi and Rejji dashed to the sound of Bakhai’s voice while Grank slammed the door shut and held it closed against the onslaught of the hellsouls.
“Hurry!” called Grank. “I do not know how long I can hold this closed.”
The hellsouls were pounding loudly on the door as Rejji and Bakhai took one end of the huge bar and Mobi hefted the other with a grunt. Mistake pulled another dagger from its sheath as they lifted the bar over Grank’s head. They slammed the bar against the door and slid it down towards the braces just as Grank’s body fell backwards. The men panted from exertion as the bar hit a sword that was stuck between the doors.
“Force it down,” yelled Mobi. “There is a sword stuck between the doors that is stopping it.”
Mistake dropped the torch and leaped on top of the bar as they struggled to force it downward. The sword slowly gave way and the bar snapped into position. The men sagged to the floor with their backs against the door. Mistake hopped down and went to retrieve her torch.
“That was close,” sighed Bakhai. “A few seconds longer and they would have broken through.”
“It was too close for Grank,” Mistake said sadly. “He is dead. That sword pierced through his eye.”
“I am sorry, Mobi,” Rejji said as he rose. “I never meant for your people to be harmed.”
“They are your people as well,” Mobi replied as he went and knelt next to Grank. “Being sad for a fallen warrior is appropriate, but do not confuse that with regret for the mission that we are on. Coming to Angragar was the pinnacle of Grank’s life. Do not diminish the glory of his sacrifice by taking the blame for his death upon your own shoulders. Let’s get what we have come for so Grank can smile down upon us.”
The group gathered together as Mistake held the torch high and started moving deeper into the palace. Nobody spoke as they marched through sitting rooms and offices. By the time they reached the throne room, excitement had eaten away at the despair felt by all. The throne room was immense and fine tapestries covered the walls interspersed with statues on pedestals. The throne was elevated on a large platform at one end of the room and a large velvet curtain hung behind it.
“Go behind the throne,” directed Mobi. “Look for a staircase leading down.”
Mistake nodded and mounted a small set of steps leading to the platform. They searched for a break in the velvet curtain and Bakhai held the curtain open when he found it. Mistake led the group through the curtain and stood in a long hallway. At the end of the hallway were stone steps leading down and Mistake led the group down them. At the bottom of the steps was a large door. Mistake tried opening the door, but it would not budge. Bakhai eased up alongside Mistake and also tried the door.
“It is magically sealed as I suspected,” frowned Mobi. “It was meant to be opened only by the king. It may take a great deal of time to get through it, if we can get through it at all.”
“Time that we don’t have,” frowned Rejji as he sat down on the steps. “Can you use magic to open it, Mistake?”
“Me?” replied Mistake. “I doubt that I have any magical ability other than the Air Tunnel and I think just about anyone could do that.”
“Try to open it, Rejji,” urged Mobi. “Your hand worked on the gates to the city.”
“That was different,” objected Rejji as he rose. “That was supposed to happen for the Astor. That is the spell that was cast upon it. This door is for the king.”
“So it is,” Mobi grinned as the door swung open to Rejji’s touch. “Considering the Astor is much more to our people than a king, I suppose the door was wise enough to obey.”
Rejji shook his head and stepped into the room. He looked around the room as the others entered. Mistake held the torch high and her eyes opened wide.
“Look at this,” she chirped. “There is probably more wealth in here than all of Fakara.”
The walls were lined with chests, which were overflowing with gold and jewels. There was a pile of carpets in one corner that were rich with colors and interwoven with gold threads. Paintings hung on the walls and lifelike statues occupied another corner. There were several golden birdcages hung from the beams and a few unstrung bows adorned a freestanding rack. Rejji turned and peered towards the far end of the room. He could barely make out a large table against the far wall. The light in the room grew dimmer and he turned and looked for Mistake. He found her bending over one of the chests, pawing through the gold and jewels.
“Mistake,” scowled Rejji. “This treasure does not belong to us. Get another torch from the wall and light it for me.”
“Actually,” interjected Mobi as Mistake sulked towards a torch hanging on the wall, “the treasure does belong to you. The door opened at your touch because it is your treasure room. Besides, the Qubari have no need of gold or wealth. Take what you need to accomplish your goals in Fakara and leave the rest for later.”
Rejji’s puzzled face frowned as Mistake handed him a lit torch. Her face was aglow with a mischievous, elfish grin and he nodded slightly.
“Take only items that have no historical value,” stated Rejji. “Like coins and ingots. And take only what we will need to buy food and tools from Lord Marak.”
“And lumber to build a dock and a building to store the food in,” chirped Mistake as she looked around for something to carry the treasure in. “And some extra to persuade the tribes to work for us.”
Rejji shook his head and shut out the rest of Mistake’s chatter. He raised his torch and headed towards the far end of the room. Next to the table was a large rack of weapons. He felt Bakhai next to him and turned to look at his brother.
“Find a weapon that will not offend your animal friends,” instructed Rejji. “You may need more than just your hands to get out of this city.”
Bakhai nodded and headed towards the rack while Rejji approached the table. Sitting on the table was long, oblong case made of black glass. The case was several feet long and looked like it could hold the staff, which was pictured in the mural. Rejji felt drawn to it and he examined the case, looking for some way to open it. Eventually, he felt the front of the case move slightly and was able to fold it down. He stooped to peer into the case and saw the long staff pictured in the mural in the temple. He reached in and seized the staff and felt a surge of power burst through his body. He almost shattered the glass case as his arm trembled when he removed the staff. He held the staff and stared at it. It felt much lighter in his grip than he would have imagined and he swung it back and forth a few times.
“It suits you,” grinned Bakhai as he adjusted a quiver of arrows so it hung comfortably on his back.
“A bow?” asked Rejji. “That won’t help you close up.”
“I picked up some daggers too,” replied Bakhai. “I did pretty good with a bow at Fardale and it doesn’t glint in the sun to give away my position.”
“I trust your judgment,” smiled Rejji. “Let’s get Voltak and leave this accursed city.”
Rejji strode back towards Mistake and Mobi who were at the far end of the room. Suddenly, the staff grew hot in his hand. His first reaction was to drop the staff, but then he saw the black-cloaked figure enter through the door and sneak towards Mistake’s back. He dropped the torch and called out an alarm as he charged towards the hellsoul. The hellsoul turned and raised its sword. Rejji swung the staff at the hellsoul and heard a resounding crack as it connected with the hellsoul’s head. The hellsoul’s head lolled to one side and it collapsed to the floor. As Rejji stood over it, ready to swing again, the body of the hellsoul disappeared in a wisp of smoke. An empty black cloak and a sword on the floor were the only things left.
“That is one powerful staff,” commented Mobi as he helped Mistake hoist a large sack onto her back. “Now that you have it, I suggest we get out of here.”
“That is one hellsoul that will not get up again,” stated Bakhai. “Did the staff do that?”
“I think so,” nodded Rejji. “The staff felt warm just before the hellsoul entered the room. Let’s go get Voltak and leave the city.”
Rejji picked up the fallen torch and climbed the stairs. He proceeded carefully along the hallway and parted the velvet curtain so he could see into the throne room. Nothing moved in the room and he held the curtain open for others to pass through before going through himself. Rejji led the way back to the front door, which was still barred.
“How do you suppose he got in?” asked Rejji. “If the door was open, I would expect more of them in here.”
“He might have already been inside,” suggested Mistake. “The real question is how do we get out.”
“Not through this door,” frowned Rejji. “This staff is downright hot in my hand. I suspect there quite a few hellsouls on the other side of it.”
“The king always had a private entrance,” informed Mobi. “I would suspect it would originate in his private residence, if we can find that.”
Rejji nodded and Mistake held the other torch up and led the way back through the palace. It took them over an hour to find the king’s chambers and locate the latch for the private entrance. Rejji led the way down the small tunnel until he came to another door. He held the staff close to the door and nodded.
“I think it is safe,” he announced as he laid the torch on the ground and fingered the latch mechanism.
The door opened to reveal a large bush. Rejji peered through the branches of the bush and saw that they were in a large garden. The garden appeared well maintained, but Rejji was not fooled by the appearance. He remembered the lack of dust in the temple library and pushed through the bushes.
“I think we are behind the palace,” Bakhai said softly. “I don’t think trying to cross the square would be a good idea. Maybe we should head down a street or two before heading towards Voltak.”
“Sounds like a good way to avoid them,” nodded Mistake as she tossed her torch inside the tunnel and slid the door closed.
“I could go get Voltak while you make for the gates,” offered Mobi.
“No,” Rejji stated. “We stick together. If this staff can kill the hellsouls then we have a chance of getting out of here, but only if we stay together. Let’s go the opposite way from the gates and then swing back towards the temple.”
Nobody objected and Rejji turned and led the way out of the garden. Bakhai nocked an arrow and Mistake withdrew a dagger. The group reached a street and Rejji leaned out far enough to look both ways before scampering across it. When he reached the next corner he again looked both ways and then turned towards the temple. The first of the three blocks they had to traverse went without incident. At the next cross street Rejji saw a hellsoul in the street leading to the square and he pulled his head back in and waited for several moments before checking it again.
“It’s gone,” he said softly and then he ran across the street.
The second block was also trouble free and Rejji was beginning to feel their chances of reaching the temple were pretty good. As he stuck his head around the next corner, a hellsoul was only a few paces away and it saw him. The hellsoul raised his sword and attacked. Rejji swung his staff at the hellsoul and hit him hard around the waist. The hellsoul staggered, but it raised its sword again and attacked again.
“The staff didn’t kill it,” Rejji scowled as he heard the snap of a bowstring.
Bakhai’s arrow sailed past Rejji and hit the hellsoul in the chest. The hellsoul fell to the ground.
“Touch the staff to him now,” suggested Bakhai.
Rejji did as Bakhai suggested and the hellsoul dissipated in a puff of smoke.
“It vanquishes them if they are dead,” stated Mobi. “At least they can’t rise again. Why didn’t the staff alert you to him?”
Rejji looked sheepishly at his hand holding the staff. “I guess I have been gripping it so hard that I did not feel the subtle warmth. I will try to be more careful.”
Rejji sighed and ran across the street as the others followed. He concentrated on holding the staff more lightly and being more sensitive to its warnings. They made the end of the third block uncontested and Rejji felt the staff before sticking his head around the corner to peer at the temple. There were no hellsouls in sight and Rejji turned the corner and raced up to the end of street where the square met the temple. He peeked around the corner and surveyed the square. At first he thought it was empty until he look closer to the palace at the far end of the square. Hundreds of hellsouls were gathered outside the palace.
“They are gathered at the far end of the square,” Rejji reported. “Bakhai, go with Mobi and help him with Voltak. Mistake and I will cross the square and wait on the other side for you. Don’t dally.”
“I can handle Voltak alone,” stated Mobi. “I would prefer that Bakhai wait with you. His bow will come in handy for covering my run if they detect us.”
Rejji nodded and the group sprinted along the street. Mobi peeled off as they passed the temple and the rest continued on across the square to the safety of the buildings. By the time they had crossed the square and turned to watch the hellsouls, Mobi was already out of the temple with Voltak over his shoulder. The strong Qubari ran the rest of the way to meet up with the group.
“Do you want to take turns carrying Voltak?” asked Bakhai. “I do not want you getting too tired to run.”
“Do not worry about me,” Mobi half chuckled and half gasped. “Mistake has the heavier burden and she seems to be doing fine.”
Bakhai looked at the large sack of gold on Mistake’s back and shook his head. Rejji let Mobi catch his breath and then led the group down the street towards the gates. They had covered three blocks before they heard the shriek behind them. Daggers filled Mistake’s hands and Bakhai nocked an arrow.
“Keep running,” ordered Rejji. “If there is one who is not in the square, there will be more. Bakhai and I will try to fend them off as they come after us. If the way ahead is blocked, we need to be one street over to the right to come out at the gates.”
Rejji and Bakhai stood in the center of the street as the shrieking hellsoul charged towards them. Bakhai made ready his bow and the hellsoul stopped, too far away for Bakhai to waste an arrow. Rejji felt his staff grow warm.
“He is distracting us,” shouted Rejji as a hellsoul rounded the corner in front of them.
Bakhai swiveled and calmly let his arrow fly. The hellsoul went down with the arrow in his chest. Rejji tapped Bakhai’s shoulder and they turned and ran after Mobi and Mistake. As they caught up to their friends, Rejji saw hellsouls in the distance. As he was about to shout a warning, Mobi and Mistake turned right along a cross street and Rejji and Bakhai followed them. Bakhai made the next intersection first and he ran into the middle of it, another arrow nocked and ready. Rejji led the group again as they turned left down the street that led to the gates. As soon as Mobi passed, Bakhai sprinted to the next intersection. He continued this pattern for several blocks before he saw the hellsouls enter the street a block in front of him and start charging towards them.
Rejji came to a halt alongside Bakhai and held his hand up to stop Mistake and Mobi. Mobi saw about twenty hellsouls charging and dropped his spear. He gently lowered Voltak to the ground. He picked up his spear and stood alongside Bakhai.
“Rejji, come with me,” ordered Mobi as he sprinted thirty paces forward. “We need to keep them occupied while Bakhai shoots them.”
“Can you still throw daggers with that on your back?” Bakhai asked Mistake as he waited for the hellsouls to get closer.
“Just watch me,” Mistake grinned. “And I managed to pick up a few spare daggers in my travels too.”
“I am not surprised,” chuckled Bakhai. “Keep an eye behind us when you can. The ones in the square will be coming. I think these are meant to slow us down.”
“Twenty of them to slow us down?” queried Mistake. “Aren’t we getting a little cocky?”
“Tagoro said I was a natural with a bow,” grinned Bakhai. “I will match my arrows against your daggers.”
Just then, the first hellsouls reached Rejji and Mobi. Bakhai let his arrow fly and hit a hellsoul in the thigh while Rejji hit one with his staff and Mobi shoved his spear into another.
“A little higher, hotshot,” called Mistake as she raced forward to get a little closer.
The staff in Rejji’s hands was glowing hot as he swung it into the head of a hellsoul. The creature’s head flew across the street as its body steamed to nothing. He saw Mobi lash his spear across the throat of one hellsoul while impaling another. Rejji stepped forward to attack another hellsoul only to watch as an arrow imbedded in its chest and a dagger penetrated its forehead. He swiftly touched the body with his staff as it fell and the body disintegrated. Rejji continued moving forward as a strange energy surged through his body. The blows he struck on the hellsouls seemed to deliver more force than he was capable of, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind and continued swinging every time there was a target. He watched what the others were doing and always tried to touch a slain hellsoul with his staff, to ensure that it didn’t get up again.
Within moments, the street was clear except for three hellsouls and they turned around to run away. Rejji chased after them. One went down with a dagger in its back and Rejji touched it with his staff as he jumped over it. An arrow claimed the next one and Rejji was not even clear of the body when he saw the last one go down to the spear that Mobi had thrown. He touched the last one with his staff and Mobi’s spear clattered to the ground in a cloud of smoke. Mobi picked up his spear and Bakhai arrived with Voltak over his shoulder.
“They are all coming,” gasped Bakhai as Mobi hefted his fellow Qubari warrior from Bakhai.
Rejji look back along the broad avenue and saw the black storm coming. “No time for rest,” he said. “Run!”
Rejji kept looking back as they ran, measuring the speed of the hellsouls with his memory of how far the gate was. He knew if they were traveling unburdened, they would easily make the gate, but carrying the gold and Voltak was obviously taking its toll on the group. He sprinted forward and tried to get Mistake to give him the gold, but she answered by going faster. He offered to take Voltak, but Mobi just shook his head wearily.
Another hellsoul appeared before them and Bakhai stopped and struck it with an arrow before Rejji ever felt the warmth from the staff. He touched the staff to it as he passed and then raced ahead of the group as the gates appeared in the distance.
Rejji reached the gates and placed his hand on them and waited impatiently as they slowly swung open. The Qubari warriors saw Mobi carrying Voltak as he ran and they poured into the city and set up a defensive stand. Rejji turned to check on the hellsouls and saw that they had stopped a couple of blocks from the gate. The group passed safely through the gates and Rejji touched them to make them close.
The group assembled at the campsite the Qubari warriors had set up. None of the warriors had asked about Grank. They knew that Mobi would not have left him behind if he were still alive.
“I need a tyrik,” stated Mobi. “Voltak is infected with a poison or something magical. He must be taken to the village as fast as possible.”
“A tyrik?” questioned Rejji. “What will the tyrik do?”
“One of my men will ride the tyrik with Voltak’s body,” Mobi explained. “They are much faster than we can ever be.”
“They allow this?” Rejji responded.
“Of course,” nodded Mobi. “We are one with the animals. Why would they not help when we need it?”
“I expected that the tyrik would treat you as anything else that got stuck in their web,” Rejji frowned.
“The tyrik are trusted allies,” declared Mobi. “When the jungle is threatened, they are the first we call.”
Several of the Qubari warriors passed bowls of food out to those returning from Angragar, and Rejji realized how hungry he was. He sat down and began eating.
“The three of you fought like seasoned warriors today,” complimented Mobi. “I would be proud to welcome any of you into one of my missions. I admit from our first meeting that I expected to have to constantly reassure you and protect you, but you have behaved admirably and shown great skill and courage in the face of danger.”
“They are Qubari,” added one of the warriors. “How could you expect any different?”
“They have not been Qubari for long,” smiled Mobi, “and I meant the compliment to include the elf as well.”
Mistake blushed and Rejji and Bakhai erupted in laughter.