"I'm sure it was a wonderful place." Serin said.
"Let's go inside and get what we came for and then get out of here."
“What is that exactly? Serin asked.
Shaz shrugged. Serin thought she saw a tiny movement on a wooden arch that led to another walkway around the inner castle wall. A heavy wooden door sat unopened for quite a long time, based on the dirt that had filled the corners half way up the edges. Small knotty holes had eroded to the size of Shaz's fists, one being eye level. Shaz leaned into the door and peeked through.
"It's too dark to see much." he said, he stepped back, "Here help me." he said, reaching for the solid iron ring handles.
"Let me, my lady" Turkill said, bowing at the waist.
"No, let me" Ladtwig said, butting Turkill out of the way.
"I am stronger than you." Turkill said, shoving his brother out of the way, "And taller, besides a Lady shouldn't have to do a man's job." he said, as he winked at Serin.
Serin was in disbelief. Shaz smirked. He remembered the first time he tried to do the same and got an ear full. Serin is a small woman but hardly weak and certainly not one to sit down and let men be in charge.
"Very well then, go right ahead" she said, bowing in return and stepped aside.
Shaz's mouth dropped open in surprise. He was sure she was going to unleash her enthusiastic speech on the roles of men and women. Turkill and Ladtwig grabbed hold of the handle and began to heave and pull. Several minutes later, and dripping with sweat, the two little men released the handle and stood back panting.
"Are you done?" Shaz asked with half smirk.
He towered above them but he had to give them credit for their tenacity. Defeated, they stepped away, crouching over their knees as though they had just run miles. Shaz casually grabbed the handle confidently and jerked. His body recoiled as the gate sat encased tightly in its immovable prison. Shocked, Shaz scowled and grabbed the handle with both hands and jerked again, still no movement. He stood back confused and examined the door.
He heaved again. Several heaves later the door had not budged. Shaz released the ring, a sharp crack sounded as it hit the steel plate it was mounted to. The Minca burst into laughter. Shaz’s hair was disheveled and his skin glowed pink from exertion. Jagwynn continued to groom herself.
"It won’t budge." Shaz said.
"I can see that." Serin said, with amusement.
Through blurps and sputters of laughter Ladtwig offered, "We could get your horse and tie it up to the latch and then have it pull the door open."
"No, I don't think that would work, but it was a good idea." Shaz said.
He was impressed by his quick thinking.
"Now what?" Serin asked.
"Magic I think, but I have no idea how." Shaz said.
"Magic!" Ladtwig and Turkill said.
They started to run back toward the outer wall when Shaz called to them, "Stop."
They froze not wanting to make anyone use magic on them.
"We are not going to use magic on you" Serin said gently, "On the door."
Turkill turned around slowly. He saw the two just standing there motionless, he relaxed slightly.
"Have you ever seen magic?" Shaz asked.
"Nnno," Ladtwig said shakily.
"Then why are you so afraid of it."
"The curse." they said, while shuddering.
"What curse?" Serin said, becoming impatient.
This was not the first time she had heard about a curse. That is why she and her father moved around as a child. Every time she would use her magic, not understanding it, the people would panic. They would have to leave or run the risk of being hurt. She still hadn’t even heard the reason of the curse or what it actually was.
Shaz knew there would be no intelligible answer so he interrupted, "It doesn't matter, there is no curse, but if you must, then leave."
Shaz returned to the large locked entryway. He rubbed his chin, closed his eyes and pictured the lock opening, but his mind went blank. Completely blank, he stared at the lock again to give himself a mental picture, and again nothing.
"Blast, it’s not working." Shaz said, slamming his fist into the wood.
Small splinters fell off the door leaving slight remnants of what appeared to be letters.
"Serin, look." he pointed to the door.
Serin slid in next to Shaz.
"Letters?" she asked "What does it say, can you read it?"
"No, I have no idea what it says."
He stood back to examine the door.
"Maybe it’s just a sign that says leave your shoes at the door in order to enter." Ladtwig said.
He burst into laughter nearly knocking himself over as Turkill blurted out a hearty ga-fa. Serin shot him a disapproving glare and was about to chide him on his not-so-funny sense of humor.
"Hmmm?" Shaz said.
"You’re not seriously contemplating this are you?" Serin said.
"Well what do you suppose then? Besides my feet are killing me." Shaz said.
He found a broken column and pulled his worn boots from his feet, revealing sweaty socks. Serin scrunched up her nose as the pungent odor wafted her direction. Ladtwig and Turkill began another bout of uncontrollable laughter and could hardly stay standing. Shaz stretched his legs a bit and wriggled his toes, finding amusement in Serin's distress. She was vigorously waving in front of her face to expel the fumes from her flared nostrils. He then strode to the door set on making a joke, when the latch clicked with a heavy thud. A sudden silence commanded the air as each looked from one another to the door and back.
"I can't believe that actually worked." Serin said.
"No, kidding." said Turkill.
"I knew it." Ladtwig said, blowing on his clenched knuckles then rubbing them on his shirt in a polishing fashion.
"No you didn't." Turkill said.
"Did too."
Shaz gripped the handle and tugged. The heavy door swung with ease letting out a small burst of dusty breath.
Tattoos
The inside was dark and gloomy. A heavy weight sat in the air and seemed to be pushing against the ground.
"It feels like a lot of sorrow happened here." Serin said.
She touched the wall as she entered.
"I wonder." Shaz said.
He picked up a once shiny helmet now faded and rusty. He rolled it around, and set it back on a large stone shelf carved into the wall of the entry way.
"Are you coming?" Serin asked.
The Minca shook their heads and took a step backward.
"There might be poisonous toads out there." Shaz said.
He walked into the large cavernous hall. The Minca darted through the open door and rushed next to Serin each picking a side. In the center of the room, Shaz examined how he was going to get up the broken stair case. A grand stone stair case that circled the room leading to the second level, now piled in heaps, and resembled small tinker blocks a child would play with.
"Poisonous toads?" Serin asked, out of the side of her mouth.
"Ya never know" Shaz said, "I need to get up there."
He pointed to the upper deck of the stair case.
"Why?" asked Turkill.
"That’s where the treasure is." Ladtwig said, elbowing his brother in the ribs and shooshed him.
He gave him a secret and silent signal of 'that’s where we need to go too'. Turkill brightened as his brows reached his pure black hair, now slicked back in a ponytail on the top of his head. The two nonchalantly scooted around the room, looking for another way up. Serin caught their secret signal but dismissed it. Shaz stepped over the crumbled stone at the bottom and climbed the uneven remains.
He scaled a short column on his way to another. It had been blasted with something powerful. Shards had struck the wall behind it so fiercely that some were still embedded in the two foot thick bricks. With both hands he gripped the top. His fingers slipped on the ruble that remained. He wiped a small section that he could reach and gripped the edge, flexed his biceps. With one foot on the column and the other against the wall, he pulled himself into a crouched position on the uneven surface.
"It's too far to jump." Serin said.
"I can do it." Shaz said.
He wiped his palms on his trousers and leapt to the next column. He landed on the top and swung his arms to steady himself. He swayed back and forth then jumped to a large shard that was protruding out of the wall. He pulled himself onto the ledge and searched for the next move. A small shard stuck out above his head and he found a pole sticking out of the wall about six feet up and to the left. It once held a series of chandeliers but had been thrust into the wall at great speed. Shattered splinters began to rot at the intersection of the pole and wall.
"There’s got to be another way, I’m going to go around back to see?"
Serin quickly made her way through the debris and out of the main hall with Jag right behind her. The Minca on the other side of the room, were having a hand war, to see who was going to lift the other up onto a broken ledge, about six feet up.
Shaz jumped and grabbed the small handle and swung high, propelling him to the next step that sat suspended on one pillar. He barely caught the edges and lifted his body, his fingers white and his muscles bulging. With his chin barely above the stone, he bent his knees and dug his toes into the column.
Once on the top he steadied himself and took in a deep breath. He leapt toward the wall, thrust his legs and twisted his body, stretched out his arms and leapt toward the pole. He caught the wood snugly, but the splintered wood pierced his flesh. The momentum carried him around the pole and he flipped up and landed in the center on his belly. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face framing the anguish. He rested on his stomach and elbows. Slivers covered his palms. Bright red blood seeped from the damaged skin. He gritted his teeth and steadied himself.
He estimated the next leap would be easier if he were standing on the pole. Grunting with exertion Shaz pushed against the pole and lifted his body. He wedged a foot between him and the pole. With one leg still hanging, he balanced his three limbs on the pole. He gripped tightly while his thigh and core muscles flexed to create balance and lifted himself up. Holding his arms out straight, he quickly set the other foot on the pole. He tightened his core muscles again and squeezed his buttocks to keep from teetering.
If I can get to that set of stairs,
he thought. They were suspended on two columns in the center of where the original stairs had been, about four feet above him. He wiped the blood off his hands but they kept bleeding. He bent his knees, squatted, swung his arms back, and jumped toward the wall. He stuck one leg out he shoved against the wall and twisted at the waist. The rebound off the wall propelled him to the solitary stairs and he came to a skid before he ran off the other side.
Serin returned with a defeated look and searched for Shaz. Her stomach nearly lurched out of her body when she saw how high he was.
"Be care-" Serin silenced herself, she knew how she would feel if it were her.
Serin shoved her hands under her armpits, and bit her lip to keep from saying anything. She had learned that Shaz was more than average. But it didn’t stop her stomach from churning with uneasiness. Her eyes were glued to him.
"You’re almost there." Serin called.
For the first time since he started climbing he looked down. Serin was about half the size she usually was. The Minca, even though they had now made their way onto the ledge, resembled small children crawling on the ground. Adrenaline surged through his body, as his skin heated up and his nerves tingled. The blood flow through his body raced oxygen to his brain giving him a heightened alertness.
Just one more gap to cross,
he thought.
He clenched his fists, but it only made them sting even more. He flung them open and shook them instead, but nothing helped.
Calculating the distance and rise of the final landing, he doubted he would be able to jump that far. There were no more rock shards or broken poles to use.
Well, I've come this far why not try
, he reasoned.
You’re crazy, you’re going to get yourself killed
, he argued. Shaz felt a surge of energy rise from his gut and fill his chest. A certain confidence filled his mind that he hadn't felt before. He moved to the edge, bent his back leg as though he were at the starting line of a race and ran toward the wall.
"Is he insane?" Serin covered her face, half peaking.
With his next step he leaned his body back and shifted onto the wall. At first it felt like he was going to fall. Then he felt a suction that drew him to the wall. As he reached the last short distance, he rotated his head and shoulders toward the landing. Sharply, he shoved off with his last step and leapt toward the landing.
The vibrations of running however shook the decrepit stone. It crumbled and he knew he wasn't going to make it. Serin's arms shot out like lightening. Air engulfed him and sent him summersaulting to a halt as he slammed into the wall. His legs straight up on the wall his back on the floor. He gripped his head and tried to keep his brain from rattling around inside his skull.
"Oh, my head." he moaned.
"Are you alright?" Serin shouted.
"If you call getting my brains scrambled, then yes." he crumpled off the wall and pushed himself into a sitting position.
"There is no way I'm doing that to get up there, just so you know." she yelled.
"Me either" Turkill yelled.
"Or me" called Ladtwig.
Shaz waited till the ceiling stopped spinning and stood up shakily. At the edge he looked down.
"I'll look around and see if I can find some rope or something." He said and disappeared through a tall arched entry way. Several minutes later, Shaz returned with some rope. He tied the rope around a remaining rail post. He tugged as best he could with his now poorly wrapped hands, and then kicked the rest over the edge. Serin hurried to the rope, and hopped onto the swinging tendril. Wrapping her leg in the rope, she crawled like a caterpillar. She made it to the top in no time. The adrenaline had had time to recede leaving Shaz’s pain receptors at full capacity. He gritted his teeth and helped her over the edge.
Serin quickly grabbed them and un-wrapped his feeble attempt.
"You could have died."
He felt bad but wished she trusted him more. He wanted to say something but knew that nothing he could say would change anything. Serin took one of the cloths, and dabbed the blood.
His fingers were like raw sausages. His palms were purple and red with pockets of dark pink puffiness.
"I need water" she said, turning to find her water bag. "Blast, I left it with my satchel. No matter.”
She gathered water molecules from the air and set the ball of water on his wound. Blood washed away and she saw just how many slivers there were.
"You’re lucky, there’s only a few big ones, it’s mostly heat burn. This might hurt."
"Can't you use your magic and make the pain go away?"
"I could but I'm mad at you for scaring the crap out of me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but you need to trust me if we're going to do this together" Shaz said, lifting her chin so her eyes met his, "Alright?"
Serin’s brow softened, “Alright."
Changing the subject Shaz said "You have to admit that was pretty cool."
"I guess."
Serin rested her palms over his. Her skin was cool, her lips parted and she took in a deep breath and whispered the words that came naturally to her mind. She felt a certain power within her that was getting stronger. A soft azure blue glow shimmered as she began her healing magic. Shaz felt its tingle and then heard a pop and then another.
"Thank you." Shaz said
"The room is spinning" she said. She clutched for something to hold onto as she started to sway.
"Here sit," Shaz said, helping her to the ground. "Just rest a minute."
"Thanks."
She rested on her arm that was crossed over her raised knees. Turkill popped up over the edge with a huge grin of achievement. It turned immediately to a scowl when found her sitting against the wall.
"What did you do?"
He lifted himself onto the edge with his arm and with his legs tight against the rope heaved his body. He rolled onto the deck and marched over to Serin. He glared at Shaz the whole way, who only scoffed and went back through the doorway.
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy." Serin said. She was pale but alive with new strength. "Where’s Ladtwig?" she asked.
"Right here" he said.
His head popped up over the ledge. Serin smiled. Serin gasped as a soft violet mark etched under the skin of her palm. It started as a dot and grew into the pedal of a flower. Soft vines wove around each other and wrapped around her hands. They grew longer, swirling and twisting in delicate details. She shoved them under her knees to hide them. They reminded her of the marks on the woman in the stone statue.
"You ok?" Turkill asked.
"Yes, I'm feeling much better." The realization of her tattoos shoved the hazy mist from her mind. "Let's help Shaz." she said, getting to her feet quickly and catching up to Shaz.
"It's a lot bigger in hear than it looks from the outside." Serin said.
The room opened up to another large room. There was a large fire pit carved into the center of the floor. Remnants of chairs and cushions once used to bask by the fire scattered around. The mid-day sun illuminated a faint brightness. Two long, open hallways stretched the length of the room. Six doors on each side lead to what they presumed were sleeping quarters. Arched pillars held up the vaulted ceiling. Some of which had been destroyed leaving pockets of light.
"Let’s hope the sheath is here.” Serin said.
Shaz peaked around a shattered door. There was nothing but broken furniture. Ladtwig and Turkill made their way into the chamber. Without realizing, Shaz and the Minca both assessed possible escape routes and likely dangers. Serin occupied herself with the details of a half ruined drape still clinging to the rafters.
"What is this place?" Turkill asked.
All the way down the halls, they looked in each room but found nothing interesting.
"Now what?" Serin asked when they met at the other end.
"I don't know, I really thought something would be here."
"Ouch" Serin said, and slapped her neck.
She pulled out a tiny stick that was similar to a dart and held it in between her fingers. She inspected the minuscule thing.
"Is that a-" Shaz started, Turkill and Ladtwig hollered too. They were hopping up and down rubbing their arms and legs. "What is going on?" he asked.
Serin yelped again, this time pulling a dart from her arm and another from her thigh. Shaz stood as the three of them swatted and grappled as though they were being attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Ladtwig opened his mouth to shout when a tiny dart embedded into his tongue. Turkill spun in circles, warding off the onslaught of tiny projectiles.