Välsurstägt: The Fight for the Throne, part 1

The clouds were gathering over Välsurstägt. The Queen was ailing fast, and no one knew how long it might be until the trial of Vanderlak might be held to appoint a new one.
The whole realm was stirred by this. I felt it strongly, living in the palace, for if one is only a maidservant, such as I was, nobody curbs their tongues. I thought I knew a good deal more of events than most of the nobles.
It was the first day of midwinter, the start of the new year. The First Day is a great celebration in Välsurstägt, but it wasn’t a day of celebration for me.
I was on my feet all day, cleaning, polishing, fetching and carrying for what seemed like millions of people. I wasn’t even actually allowed into the banquet halls. The housekeeper felt I was far too rustic and common. She often said this, which irritated me. I only worked at the palace because I had too. My parents died when I was very small, and the only relation I had at all was my brother. He didn’t like me much, which didn’t bother me. I didn’t like him much either.
When the sky was darkening, I was sent to clean the large fireplace on the second floor. I despised cleaning fireplaces, and as soon as I had knelt down in front of it, an enormous gust of wind came whistling down the chimney and scattered ashes all over me.
I spat out a mouthful of coal dust, and tried to wipe off my face with my sleeve. It didn’t do a bit of good, just created a large black stain on my dress. Sighing with frustration, I picked up my brush, and began to sweep the ashes into a pan.
Just as I had got to the horribly dirty part at the back, I heard a door shut down the hall. Looking up, I saw one of the ladies’ maids hurrying toward me. I turned back to the fireplace. The ladies’ maids have no use for the servants, such as an under housemaid like me.
But then I heard a voice calling my name. “Anya! Anya!” it said, breathlessly. I dropped the pan of ashes with a clatter, as I turned again to look in amazement.
“You were calling me?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes! Come, quickly!” she said, grabbing my sooty hand and pulling me to my feet.
“What in the kingdoms is the matter?” I asked, as I was pulled along down the hall.
“The queen is worse, she wants you.”
“Why would she want me?” I gulped. “I’ve never even seen her.”
“I don’t know, all of a sudden, she just said ‘please, find Anya and bring her to me’, you are the only Anya around here that I know of.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say, and just tried to wipe a little more of the coal dust.
We came to a door. The ladies’ maid opened it and gave me a shove. I wasn’t expecting this, and lost my balance. I staggered into the room and across the floor in a most undignified fashion, not at all the first impression I would have liked to make on the queen.
She was lying in an enormous, tapestried, four poster bed. To my great astonishment, she was not a bit old, between twenty and twenty-five. Also, she looked very much like me. The very same dark gold hair, and the same, strange eyes. One a deep, forest green, and the other a dark, velvety purple. I had never seen someone with eyes like mine before
I walked tentatively toward the bed. The queen turned, and smiled at me. I made a flustered curtsy, remembering the royal etiquette, and said, “Your Majesty,”.
“Please,” said the queen. “Call me Tatyana,”
“I shall,” I said, surprised, and very much pleased. I snuck a look at the other maid, feeling smug.
Tatyana gestured at a chair. “Please, Anya, sit down. And Golnya, you may go.”
The other maid left. I sat down in the chair, and looked at Tatyana. She reached out, and took my hand.
“Were you surprised when I sent for you?” she asked.
“Well, yes,” I admitted. “I didn’t know why.”
“Because I have something very important to tell you, that will be a great surprise. You are destined to be the next Queen of Välsurstägt.”
“WHAT? I gasped.
“I thought you would be surprised,” said Tatyana, with a hint of a smile.
“How.., I mean, why...but,” I stuttered desperately.
“You are half of the fay folk, just as I am,” she said calmly.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“The eyes, you have the fay eyes, just as I do. And the fay ears too, I think.” I put a hand to my head. My ears were pointed at the tips, but I was careful always to comb my hair over them so nobody would see. “You shall be the next queen, for you are the only such person in Välsurstägt, I know.”
I was silent for moment, thinking. The possibility swam before my eyes. The next Queen! The ruler of all Välsurstägt! I knew from Tatyana’s tone that she was speaking the truth, not simply teasing me.
“But what about my brother, he is older than me,”
“He is only your half-brother. He is not of the fay.”
“But the trial, how will I pass it?”
“You will pass the trial, but you may not even make it there. You must be wary.”
“Why? What is wrong?”
Tatyana sighed heavily. “You know the duchess Maornya da Kulstey?”
“I have seen her,” I said.
“She is a very ambitious woman, ruthless and power hungry. She also works magic.”
I gasped. It is strictly forbidden for humans to work magic, it causes so many problems. “But is that not against the law.”
Tatyana laughed bitterly. “Maornya has never and will never care anything about the laws. I know that when I die, she will try to seize the throne, although she has not a drop of Faerie blood. She wants the silder mines, she wants power, she wants wealth.”
“But-, surely she can stopped!”
“No amount of force will conquer Maornya. She will kill anyone who tries to challenge her.”
“But she doesn’t know about me, and she won’t know until it’s too late.”
“She knows. She knows that you are the only half-faerie in Välsurstägt. She, in fact, holds what will stop you from having contact with the Faerie side of your nature. She holds your kivae.”
I was silent. I had heard of the faerie stone Kivae, a charm which every Fay received at their christening and wore until their death.
Tatyana reached under the collar of her night dress, and brought out a necklace. It was silver, with a green stone as a pendant. The stone throbbed with light, and threw beams across the room. I gasped.
“This is my Kivae.” said Tatyana. “While I wear it, no evil magic can harm me, such as the sort Maornya practices. Without it, she would have destroyed me long ago.”
“And she holds my kivae,” I said, slowly, beginning to realize the danger that I was in.
“Yes, you must find it, and go, far away from here, until the trial of Vanderlak, and until you can claim your rightful place as Queen of Valsurstagt.”
My head was spinning. In five minutes my life had changed so dramatically that it left me dizzy. A faerie, the next queen, a woman who wanted my life, how could I do it?
“You can do it, Anya,” said Tatyana. “I know you have the strength. Here is what you must do.” She pointed to a wardrobe. “Go and find the white cape.”
I got up, and went over to the wardrobe. Inside were many beautiful gowns and one, pure white cape. I brought it over to the bed.
Tatyana put it over my shoulders. “This is made from spun silder. It is one of the most valuable things in this kingdom, for no weapon can penetrate it. It has belonged to every one of Välsurstägt’s queens. It belongs to you now. It will protect you from any physical attacks.”
“Thank you,” I breathed.
“This very night, you must go and find you kivae. It will not be far from Maornya, she guards it obsessively. However, she will be out late at the party, and will likely have left it in her room for safekeeping. After you find it, you must leave the palace.”
“How shall I do that?” I asked.
“I expect that with your kivae, it will not be difficult. You must go far from here, and when you hear that I am dead, come for the trial.”
“Surely.., you won’t die soon,” I ventured.
“Yes, I shall die soon, but I am not afraid.” said Tatyana. “And when my human body is drained of life, I shall be with the fays again for all eternity, for the fay side of me is immortal, it shall never die.”
“But-” I said, feeling as though I might cry.
“No,” Tatyana caught my hand. “Don’t worry, you shall do very well on your own. It is your destiny to rule, and never forget that. You are the rightful queen.” she paused a minute. “But, when you need help, think of me, and I will be with you, by your side to guide you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Now go,” said Tatyana. “And do not forget what I have told you. Maornya’s room is along this corridor, five doors down from mine to the left.” I knew that room well, I had cleaned it many times.
“Goodbye,” I said, desolately, standing up.
“Goodbye,” said Tatyana. “And good luck.”

I opened Tatyana’s door, and shut it behind me carefully. In a daze, my feet carried me down the hall toward the rooms of the Duchess da Kulstey.
There was the door. I reached for the knob, opened it, and walked in. The room was empty of people, which was a relief, but still, I was nervous.
Where would she keep my kivae? I wondered. The first place that occurred to me was the dressing table drawer where I knew the rest of the jewelry was. Then, I reasoned She could pretend it was ordinary jewelry.
The room was dark, and I had not thought to bring a candle. I felt my way over to the dressing table, managing not to knock anything over. I opened the drawer. I had dusted it so many times I knew it by heart. Reaching in, I felt about in the duchesses jewelry. I felt nothing out of the ordinary, I was sure I would know my kivae if I touched it.
My fingers explored the bottom of the drawer. Smooth, cold wood. But then, I felt a ridge. Feeling along it, I came to another that intersected it. Digging my fingernails into the wood, I lifted a piece about the size of my palm. As the panel came away, a gleaming purple light filled the room, radiating from the drawer. Trembling with excitement, I reached down, and drew out my kivae. It was exquisite, dark purple stone, that sparkled and gleamed, giving off an eerie, unearthly glow. The stone was cut it the shape of a many pointed star, and mounted in a silver frame, attached to a silver chain. I turned it over. On the back there were carved three words, Anya La Fay. Anya the fay.
“Anya,” I whirled. Maornya was standing in the door, holding a dagger. She spat out the word as though it pained her to say it. “I thought this time would come, when you would be so foolish as to challenge my power. You shall regret this descision.”
I clutched the kivae. “I will not regret it,” I said evenly. “You can keep it from my no longer, it is mine,” With that, I fastened the chain round my neck.
Maornya shrieked, a mixture of rage and terror. “Stay away from me, Fay!”
When I fastened the chain, I felt protection drain into me from the kivae, it felt hot against the skin of my neck, throbbing and glowing as magic spread through me.
“I shall allow nothing to interfere with my plans,” Maornya said, regaining her composure, and advancing on me with the dagger raised.
There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to kill me. I threw out my hands instinctively. The dagger fell to the floor, burning and dissolving into a purple flame. Then it disappeared with a bang. I drew back my hands, horrified. Was that magic? Have I broken the law? But no, the law is not to use magic against other people who cannot defend themselves, I would have been killed if I hadn't. It was the kivae that had done it, not me. The magic the law referred too was the sorcery that people like Maornya used to bring evil to other people, and power to themselves. It said nothing about the magic that the faeries used to do good.
I had almost forgotten the duchess in this contemplation, but now I was yanked out of my thoughts.
“You think you have defeated me, but my powers are infinite, and I shall destroy you!” she shouted,
I knew that she would, if she could. A bolt of blue lightning shot through the ceiling toward me, I turned, shielding my eyes and holding out my hand again. And the light saved me again, blocking the lightning. It struck between us and a burned black patch in the floor and a produced cloud of dark blue smoke
“You cannot destroy me,” I said, glaring strait into her cold gray eyes. I want to get away! I thought desperately. How much longer can I last? But Maornya was between me and the door. I put a hand on my kivae. Please!
I felt a very peculiar sensation, as shivers ran through me, and my feet seemed to leave the floor. Then they touched again, but this time on grass. I looked about. I was now standing in a mountain valley, in a small stand of pine trees. It was dark, and very cold, but I had never thought a place so wonderful in my life.
I sank down on the ground, pulling Tatyana’s cloak around me. For now I am safe, I thought

Night of Terror- Archeron

Dulaman Elmen sat up with a start. His dreams had been troubled for several nights now, but this time it hadn't been a nightmare that jarred him awake. There seemed to be some sort of commotion outside his room. He jumped out of bed, ran over to the door, and peered out the keyhole. There were six guards in the hall leading to his room, and they were all fully armed and ready.

"Lock this place down! Come on people, let's move it!" bellowed the leader. Dulaman straitened up and opened his door. The second the head guard noticed Dulaman, he turned and spoke quickly:

"Sorry councilman, you've got to stay in your room. Orders."

"Why, what's going on?" Dulaman replied quizzically.

"Consul Grifton's been assassinated." The guard responded grimly.

"That's all? You woke me up for that?"

"He's not the only one, sir."

"Wait, someone else has been killed too?"

"Yes. Half the council is dead already, and we fear there may be attempts on the rest of the council as well."

"I'll go get dressed immediately then."

"Good, hurry sir." Dulaman quickly retreated back into his room. He opened his wardrobe and donned his forester's clothes; A long, forest green hooded tunic, high boots of brown leather, and a full quiver. He also strung his bow, and strapped his short sword onto his belt. The second he was done he opened his door once again.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked the chief guard as soon as he got out.

"I just told you a moment ago, councilman, you're to stay in your room." The chief guard replied.

"But that's total folly! If I stay in my room they'll know exactly where to find me."

"I'm sorry councilman, but we can't leave."

"Listen," Dulaman said to the man, leaning in and looking him square in the eye. "I'm a master of the Forestry guild. If there truly is a threat to my life, I'll be best equipped to defend myself if I'm outside." The guard stared at him, unmoved. "Fine," Dulaman continued "but I'm sure you know that anyone who is going to attempt to kill a councilman will account for six Surrian guards." The chief guard was about to speak, when one of the young guards interrupted.

"Sir, out there in the courtyard, I think I see something." he said as he pointed out the only window in the corridor.

"Get down!" Dulaman yelled, but it was to late. There was the sound of a gust of wind, and the young guard fell to the floor, dead. "How about now, Guardy man?" Dulaman asked sarcasticly "They'll be making for my window."

"All right. Let's move men!"

***
Several minutes later, as he ran through the darkened street towards the river park, Dulaman couldn't help but marvel at how nice the night was. Though it was Latewinter, there was no frost in the air. 'Something isn't right' he thought to himself as he continued. He looked around to get his bearings. There was the Red Quatl Inn, it was just three blocks now, and he'd be on his turf, in his own element. As he looked around he realized he must have lost his guards somewhere along the way. 'Oh well, easier to hide that way.'

Somewhere off on the other side of the river he heard the cracking of gunfire. 'Whatever is happening in Ser tonight, it's obviously not confined to the West Bank. Someone must be trying to eliminate the council, but why? The current council can barely agree on anything anyway.' Dulamamn could now see the trees and brush encased in cast iron fence looming on the left ahead of him. He was almost at the park. But then, something caught his eye. There was a bit of movement in a window on the right side of the street. Instinctively, Dulaman dived forward. The second he did he was thankful for it, because two arrows whizzed through where his chest had been a second ago. Quickly he glanced about the street looking for some cover, but there was none to be found. So, without thinking he stood up and sprinted blindly back the way he had come. More gunfire sounded in the distance.

'Well, this isn't the worst off I've ever been.' thought Dulaman to himself as he ran. 'I can think of a plan. I'll live. I mean, Dulaman, twenty-nine years is too short a life, right? I've done a lot, but it's still too short.' As he was passing the Red Quatl Inn for the second time, the moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating the street in front of him. Dulaman froze in his tracks at the sight that confronted him. Three figures in black cloaks stood in the road in front of him. He turned around to run back again, but saw another figure further down the street, with an arrow trained on him. 'This is really the end now, isn't it?' He raised his hands and turned back to the three figures in front of him.

"You've given us quite a chase, councilman Elmen." the figure in the middle said sarcastically, as it began to advance toward him. "Of course, we expected it would be interesting with you."

"Would you just kill me and get it over with?!?" Dulaman shot back.

"Oh, but where would the fun be in that?" sneered the figure. Then Dulaman heard the cold metallic sound of a swords being drawn, and saw the glint of blades in the hands of his assailants. They began to advance. He looked around quickly. The bowman still had the arrow trained on him, and there were no other ways out. Now they were only thirty feet in front of him. More gunfire rumbled in the distance. This time, however, it didn't die away. The rumbling
continued, until Dulaman, and his assailants, could tell that they were no longer hearing gunfire. The rumbling was coming from beneath them.

"Wha- what is is it?" stuttered one of the silhouettes.

"Speak not!" the leader shouted back. Then, with barely any warning, a large copper sphere broke from the ground between Dulaman and the three assassins, showering bits of dirt and stone into the street. Dulaman and the assassins all froze. An arrow zipped from behind Dulaman and broke on impact with the sphere. Suddenly, the sphere, which was about 15 feet
in diameter, and had about a dozen small bulges at various places around it, sprouted what looked like a periscope from a bulge on top. Another arrow shot out, but to no avail. As the periscope looked around, Dulaman stood frozen in utter bewilderment, wondering what the thing was. Then, from four small bulges around the bottom, the sphere sprouted four long, spindly legs, each ending in a circular disc-like foot. The sphere stood up and began to move toward Dulaman. Its locomotion was almost a walk, but it was more precarious, and left you with the impression that it had been based on the walk of a drunk spider. The sphere stood at least 8 feet off the ground, and didn't stop until it was directly over Dulaman. As he stared up at its underside, it popped open, and a ladder dropped down.

"Get in, quick!" called a voice from inside. Dulaman was too awestruck to question, and did as he was told.

***

The second Dulaman climbed in, the ladder retracted and the hatch closed below him. As he climbed out of the short shaft, he found himself in a small, cramped, dimly lit room. It was circular, about eight feet across, and had a comfortable looking bench that ran all around the edge. Also, Dulaman saw that the circular shaft he had climbed from was open in the center of the room, and about four feet deep. He also noticed that he couldn't stand up straight because
the ceiling was too low, so he decided to sit down. He was glad he did, because a moment later, there was a large lurch, and he felt the sphere moving downwards, as best as he could tell. Then, without warning, the center of the ceiling of the room opened up, and down hopped a man.
He was about five-foot eight, had a jolly face, and a muscular build. He was dressed in a dark brown shirt with white leggings and a short light brown tunic. On his head thin locks of red-brown hair peeked out from under a leather cap. The man turned to Dulaman.

"Grand Master Jeshu Mechix of the Clockwork guild, at your service councilman!" he said with a wink and a bow.

"Uh, thank you." Replied Dulaman stupidly.

"Goodness, why do they always act so dumbstruck?" Jeshu muttered to himself. "This sphere is only simple clockwork. Well, maybe complicated clockwork, but it's still only clockwork. Nothing spectacular about it. Now, might I have the pleasure of your name, councilman?"

"Elman. Uh, Dulaman Elmen."

"Well, Dulaman, why so glum? You're alive, and very safe, for the moment. I'm afraid that most of the council members aren't as lucky as that right now." Jeshu sat down across from Dulaman and looked expectantly for a response, but Dulaman just stared ahead moodily, lost in thought. Finally he spoke.

"They're probably all dead, right now. They were my friends, my colleagues, and they've been murdered for no reason other then that they are the leaders. And I've escaped. Somehow, through some stroke of random luck, I'm still alive. Why me and not one of them!? Why couldn't we all go together? I wish I had died back there! It would make everything so much easier."

"Actually Dulaman, the record will show that you did die." Jeshu said gravely.

"What?" Dulaman asked, confused.

"You see, a guard was killed near your bedchamber. I've had things set up so that they use that body to make it look like you died. It's the perfect cover for you. You see, I'm getting a team together. Myself and several other higher-ups in the guilds believe that there is a great threat to Archeron, perhaps even all Trellarya, growing in the mountains."

"What do you mean?" Dulaman asked skeptically.

"Basically, I need your help, and now the way has been paved for you to be able to leave everything and help me."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, of course you do! If you don't want in, then I can simply return you to Ser. Of course, if you do agree to come, you'll be instrumental in shaping the future of Archeron, much more so then you'll ever be in the government." Dulaman thought hard. 'My life has been torn away from me tonight. It'll never be the same. I can either go back to the wreckage or take a new life altogether. Which way should I go? They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I better decide, Jeshu is waiting. Oh, why not? You always wanted adventure.'

"I'll do it." Dulaman replied surely.

Phoenicia One

Just East of the Ruined City of Knossus, on the Island of Crete

The late afternoon sun was obscured by a dark shape. It rose slowly in the blue sky, silhouetted against the yellow light. As the huge shadow fell over the dig site the laboring excavators looked up to see the cause of the sudden darkness. A loud whirring sound filled the air, accompanied by a strong wind. The noise grew, and the wind blew harder. The diggers stopped their work. A few covered their ears, some ran in fear. Most stood up to stare. Finally the source of the disturbance, an enormous ship-like craft, abruptly lost altitude. As the vessel descended it became more visible.

They had expected the arrival of this strange ship, but not its size. No one among them had ever seen anything like it before. Shaped like a bireme, there was an enormous inflated balloon above the craft where a sail should have been. A propeller at the rear of the ship (in place of a rudder) seemed to be the cause of the noise. The underside of the vessel had been flattened out, so as to provide a steady landing. Tiny figures could be seen walking about the deck of the airship, performing unknown tasks. It descended onto an open grassy field prepared for it a few miles away from the workers.

Two men and three horses were waiting for the airship. The shorter of the two, Demetrious, was uneasy. His companion was awe-struck.

‘So this is what they’ve been up to back home,’ he said in a stunned voice.

‘Yes, this and more. Only the very important get to use things like this airship, Pyramus. Do you know what that means?’

Pyramus rolled his eyes. ‘I’m going to guess that it means our guest is important.’

‘That’s right. He is the personal advisor to the Emperor himself. Second most important man in all Phoenicia. Maybe in all of central Trellarya. So don’t mess this up for me.’

‘If he doesn't like what he sees,'' Pyramus replied, ''it's your head on the chopping block, not mine.’

‘Thank you for the vote of confidence.’ Demetrious sighed. ‘But he will approve. We've been working at double capacity, and it’s not like we're in any hurry. Still, Lord Adastros is supposed to have a temper. We've hardly scraped the surface of the Knossos site alone. We’re on schedule, but the schedule wasn’t very detailed.’ He was talking mainly to himself now.

‘You wrote the schedule for him, sir.’

‘Still…’

''Have you met him, sir?’

‘Not met him, not exactly.’ Demetrious sighed again. ‘But I've seen him! This man is adviser to the Emperor! Whatever he says goes!'

‘We have been through this before...’

There was now silence between the two. Their relationship was very paradoxical. When Demetrious was put in charge of the Crete project he had virtually no idea what he was doing. Pyramus, his assistant, had the brains. His knowledge complimented Demetrious’ leadership, his ability to get people to do things. Demetrious resented the debt he owed Pyramus, and it showed during their interactions. But he did respect his assistant, and, in fact, Demetrious even envied Pyramus.

‘It’s landing,’ Pyramus said.

‘I can see that! Are we ready? How do I look?’

‘Fine. You look fine.’ The wind whipped Demetrious’ hair. As the airship touched down the noise lessened, and propeller slowed. Demetrious could see the Lord Adastros now, looking down on them from the deck. A gangplank was lowered, which Adastros descended. He raised one hand in greeting. Demetrious noticed the man’s dress: he wore only a simple tunic, with ought toga. He had a sword-blade at his side, but it was only a ceremonial weapon, unsharpened. ‘Demetrious?’ Adastros was looking at Pyramus. The foreman leaped forward.

‘I am Demetrious, my lord. Welcome to Crete! It is an honor to meet you!’
‘Is that so?’ Only Pyramus noticed the sardonic way in which Adastros spoke.

‘Yes, my lord!‘ Demetrious continued. ‘I think you will find that we are on schedule. We have located the Palace at Knossos and began work there. We have already found what we think is the treasure vault, my men - our men are working there right now! And might I say again what an honor it is to meet you in person!''

‘Yes, yes,’ said Adastros impatiently. He pointed to the horses. ‘Are these for us?’

‘Of course, your honor! It is a few miles to our camp, and we’ve had no need for any sort of chariot until now.’ Adastros grimaced and swung himself onto one of the steeds. Demetrious and Pyramus followed suit, and together they began down the dirt path to the dig.

All the while Demetrious rambled on about the excavation, and all the artifacts they were finding. Urns and chamber pots seemed to interest him as much as money interested a tax collector. He spoke about what remained of the city. The lower sections of the city walls remained intact; the upper parts having collapsed onto the streets along with the houses. The marketplace had been partially indoors also, so when the earthquake struck virtually everyone had been killed. Few seemed to have survived the first quake, but were killed during the aftermath when they foolishly sought shelter in any remaining buildings.

During Demetrious’ monologue about the native wildlife of the isle, Adastros interrupted. ‘This is all well and good, foreman. But what I am really interested in is the Palace. Especially the throne room.’

Demetrious looked a little surprised. ‘Oh. Yes, of course! Pyramus? Can I have the plans to the Palace?’ Pyramus reached into his satchel and withdrew a scroll. ‘We got this from the family that designed the Palace hundreds of years ago, from Tyre.’ He handed over the according scroll, and Adastros unrolled the parchment. ‘There,’ Demetrious said, pointing. ''Is where we think the Throne Room was. There are doors all around, leading to antechambers and various halls. This one,’ Demetrious pointed again. ‘Mysteriously leads to . . . nowhere. It would make sense for secret, unplotted rooms to store treasure, no? The diggers are working through the rubble in front of the door as we speak.’

By this time the trio had traveled to the main gate of Knossus. The brick walls were only about six feet high, where before they had towered several stories high. They passed through the gates and along a path cleared of rubble. The air still stank a little: no one had been there to clear away the bodies of the dead Cretans, and they had decayed where they fell. An inglorious burial for such an amazing people, Adastros thought.

As they neared the center of the city he saw a series of tents erected in an area cleared of rubble. ‘Here we are, my lord!’ Demetrious announced, unnecessarily. ‘We are only a few meters from the palace site. Would you like to rest a bit first, or go there directly?’

‘Directly, if you please, foreman. A servant comes behind me with my personal effects, so I am unprepared to rest now. Lead on!’ They dismounted their horses and went forward on foot. With Demetrious in the lead, Adastros looked over Pyramus. He had stayed quiet through almost their entire encounter, and maintained a façade of subservience to Demetrious. But Adastros could tell the humility was just that: a façade. He had met many politicians in the years he had worked for the Baltzar dynasty, and Pyramus resembled many of them. True, he had only known the man in for a few hours, and couldn’t be sure. But Adastros never achieved anything in his life by hesitating. ‘I wish to speak to you tonight, Pyramus. Come alone.’

The other man looked at him blankly. Adastros just turned and followed Demetrious.

* * *

Pyramus approached the Lord Adastros’ tent hesitantly. He wasn’t sure what the man wanted from him, but he had an unnerving feeling that it had something to do with Demetrious or the Emperor. And since Pyramus had never met (or even seen) the Emperor once in his life, he guessed it was the former. But Demetrious would do anything that the personal advisor to Emperor Baltzar asked him to. He was a suck-up like that. Whatever his superior wanted was his command. Still . . . His primary interest was archeology, or what counted for archeology in this day-in-age. And he believed that the Knossus dig was mainly about old pots and pans of the Cretans.

Pyramus, however, knew better. The dig was about what drive all men: money. Knossus was one of the richest cities in all of Phoenicia. Mainly due to it’s location on the island, the city and surrounding villages could expand farther than any of the mainland cities could. And the fishing was incredible. Cretan fish, of any variety, from the cold north waters of the island, were considered delicacies.

Yes, money was what it was about. The lord Adastros would ask him to supervise some secret export of all the jewels from the Palace, or some such nonsense. And Pyramus would have to accept, because Demetrious had gotten one thing right: this was the right-hand man of the Emperor, and had complete immunity. If Pyramus even thought about reporting to Demetrious, Adastros could kill him and his master, and sleep well that night too.

With all this in mind, he entered Adastros’ tent. Adastros was sitting at a rickety desk, looking over the plans to the throne room. He stood up when Pyramus entered. ‘I Pyramus! ’ He said. ‘Thank you for coming. Please, sit.’ He pointed to his own chair, and sat himself down on his cot. But as soon as Pyramus seated himself, Adastros stood up again. He paused, then began. ‘Let me be blunt. The moment I saw you I knew what type of person you were. You are a thinker. You have a very good idea of what is going on around you, correct?’ Pyramus stayed silent. ‘You and I both know that your superior is a fool. He thinks only about old things and dead cultures, nothing that has any effect on the present.’ Adastros was pacing around the tent. ‘The real reason I am here. Yes. The throne room.’ Here it comes, thought Pyramus. ‘Have you ever heard of a man named Daedelus?’

Silence. Daedelus? ‘Why do you ask?’ Pyramus’ mind was rushing. Crete. Daedelus. Knossos. Crete. Daedelus. Knossos . . . AHA!

‘I have reason to believe,’ Adastros began, slowly. ‘That the Labyrinth exists.’
Silence. Again. Pyramus looked at the ground, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ‘And I thought you just wanted money,’ he said.

Adastros shook his head. ‘That is the Emperor’s prerogative, sir. Not mine. I serve a higher calling.’

‘You don’t serve the Emperor?’

‘Oh, I serve the Emperor. I ways he recognizes, and some he doesn’t. My loyalty lies with him: he is the one hope this land posses of becoming great, of competing with the more powerful nations. Do you understand our national position, truly?’

‘We share a border with a land populated by . . . Monsters! Few even know what they look like! Some mixture of slugs and insects, I hear. They act as one individual. Imagine an army working in complete unison. If you have been in as many wars as I have you will know what a terrifying idea that is. All around us: strange things. Faeries, wizards, fiends of every description. We need the upper hand in the war that I know will come!’

‘And you think the Labyrinth will provide you with this weapon?’ Pyramus was beginning to understand the Lord Adastros. He was driven by something completely different from most men. Not greed, or self-righteousness, or even fear (despite evidence to the contrary). He was driven by xenophobia. The fear and hatred of strangers. Anything non-human, anything different from what he was, was wrong and evil. He would have lived a good live several hundreds of years ago, when all the nature creatures were driven from the mainland into Germania. All the fauns and centaurs, dryads, naiads and oreads. Everything slightly spiritual or out of the ordinary or supernatural. But after the persecutions persisted, the nymphs and satyrs willfully fled into the uninhabited forests, an have stayed there ever since, mostly forgotten.
Pyramus tore himself away from his own ruminations. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘Just keep your master occupied,’ Adastros smiled. ‘He can’t stop me, of course, but I don’t want word getting out about what I’m really interested in. It would make my job much harder. And bloodier. So you will help me?’

Pyramus paused. ‘Yes,’ he said

‘This will come back to you, Pyramus. I promise you that. Now get out. I want to sleep.’

Pyramus left the tent, and walked off to think.

* * *

When the door broke in, and the shafts of dusty sunlight penetrated the darkness, the smell of the air told Adastros he had found what he wanted. ‘Give me a torch,’ he said to one of the attendants.

‘Are you sure you wish to descend first, lord?’ Demetrious asked. ‘Send a servant, or one of these remarkable pieces of ingenuity!’ He directed the last comment towards the automaton Adastros brought with him. It was five feet high, and covered in bronze plating. ‘I still don’t understand how it operates! It takes commands, but I don’t see how that can be!’

‘Demetrious!’ Adastros cautioned. ‘Can we focus at the matter at hand?’
‘Oh, yes, of course. I apologize.’

‘The automatons are not agile. They are mainly for manual labor. They are very strong.’

‘If you wish, you may absolutely descend first, my lord.’

‘Thank you.’ Adastros rolled his eyes. ‘May I have a torch?’ An attendant quickly did as he requested. ‘I shall descend. Please continue to clear the surrounding area.’ With that, he stepped through the broken door, and into darkness.

His flames licked the cobwebs and painted bizarre shadows on the brick walls. The ceiling arched over his head. Several paces down the hall turned, and all light from the sun was gone. Adastros began to feel claustrophobia pushing in his lungs, but he ignored the feeling. He followed the tunnel deeper and deeper. When he came to a series of steps, he halted. His torch showed nothing of what lay below. It had been five minutes since he entered the chamber, with no sign of anything. Was it possible that he was going nowhere at all? But the steps . . . Had to lead somewhere. He would not let fear control him. He stepped forward.

The steps kept going down. But the hall was widening the deeper it got. Soon he couldn’t see either walls or the ceiling. He paused to wipe the sweat from his brow. The torch wasn’t shedding enough light. Why? It was burning brightly. But if he didn’t find anything soon, he would have to return to the surface. He felt blindly to his right for the wall. Leaned against it when he found it. He brought his left hand down to his side, unintentionally pressing against a brick. It gave! He started around, held his flame to the brick. It had sunk maybe half an inch into the wall. Quickly, he felt the rest of the wall. Another brick gave to his touch, then several more. When he had pressed ten different bricks in, and paused. What was the purpose of this? Would the cave collapse on him? But for some reason, he pressed against another brick. Then another. CRACK
There were whirrings and clackings. The grinding of gears. Light filled what was revealed to be an enormous cavern. Adastros stared. ‘By Jove . . . I found it!’ But something roared.

* * *

‘Did you hear that?’
‘No. What was it?’

‘It sounded like . . . Screaming.’

‘Screaming?’

‘Yes, fatuus! Screaming!’

‘Demetrious?’

The foreman came towards the two young men, standing where the Lord Adastros had been last seen, at the entrance to the tunnel. ‘What do you need?’ He asked.

‘Hiram says he heard something.’

‘That’s right, sir. I thought I heard screaming,’ Hiram said.

‘From the tunnel?’ Demetrious asked.

‘That’s right, sir.’

‘Hmm . . . ’

‘Wait! There it was again!’ Hiram said.

‘Yes, I definitely heard it that time, too.’

‘Guards!’ Demetrious shouted. They rushed over. ‘Hiram and Adad here say they heard screaming. Please investigate.’ The guards looked at each other, somewhat fearfully. But they were saved, because the screams got louder. Shouts of gods names were now distinguishable among the random noises. Suddenly, the Lord Adastros came tearing out of the tunnel. His face, previously so composed and emotionless was stricken with fear, his eyes wild and dark hair disheveled. Sweat poured down his face. ‘Balor!’ He shouted, completely without composure. ‘Balor save me, what have I done?’

Demetrious seized him by his shoulders. ‘My lord! What was it? Have you been attacked?’ But his question was answered before Adastros could answer. A roar echoed out from the tunnel. The guards stepped back, and lowered the spears. All the workers around the courtyard who hadn’t noticed the disturbance noticed it now. The ferocious noise sounded like three beasts at once. The ground shook, and the wall around the tunnel seemed to throb, as though some creature was trying to break through it. And the entrance collapsed. An enormous lion leaped through the falling stone. Fire spewed from it’s mouth. And it wasn’t a lion. No lion had two heads, a second one protruding from it’s back. Lion’s didn’t have tales with snake heads. Lions didn’t breathe fire.
The Chimera roared again. The guards dropped their spears and fled. Hiram and Adad tried to follow them, but the Chimera was to fast. It’s tail whipped and wrapped around Adad’s throat, jerking him backwards. Hiram shouted and ran to help his friend, but the lion-head flames caught him full on, and he ran away, flaming.

‘By Jove!’ Demetrious shouted. ‘By Jove, Jove, save us! Guards!’ Nothing happened, excepting the Chimera tossing aside Adad’s mangled body. Only he and Adastros remained now. Free of the tunnel’s constricting halls, Adastros seemed to have recovered himself somewhat. He looked around for a weapon, and saw only the broken spears of the cowardly guards. But he did have his ceremonial blade. He withdrew it from it’s sheath. He had to slay the monster! Otherwise it would ravage the whole city! Destroy everything he had worker for!

He looked closely at the Chimera, trying to spot a weakness. But before he could think of anything, it opened it raging maw and shot a spurt of flame towards him. He leaped quickly behind a toppled pillar. I glanced behind him at he monster, and saw it turning to face Demetrious. ‘Demetrious, run!’ he shouted. The foreman didn’t need to be told twice, and turned to flee from the Chimera. Adastros made a silent prayer to his god. And the Chimera followed Demetrious. Adastros closed his eyes, and leapt from his hiding place. Before the serpent-tale could detect him, he swung his sword at it’s neck. It took two swipes to decapitate the snake, and by that time the monster had noticed it was being attacked. It reared over Adastros, who fell over. But he still grasped his sword, and he thrust it upwards, into the chest of the beast as it descended upon him. He had to put all his strength into the thrust, but the dull tip did penetrate into the monster. It howled again, in pain. Adastros rolled quickly away. ‘Stalvart!’ He shouted. The Chimera spun to face him again, and approached slowly, savoring the kill. It’s mouth opened. Adastros saw the fire forming down it’s gullet. He had never thought he would die like this, just after he made the discovery of a lifetime. But he closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

It never came. He looked up, and the monster was lying on it’s side. Further examination showed several thing metallic blade-spikes protruding from it’s back. He stood up, and saw his automaton. It must have heard him cry it’s designation, and come to his rescue. All of his personal automatons were equipped with projectiles, in case of emergencies. It had been a good idea on his part, apparently. ‘Saved by a piece of machinery,’ he muttered.

‘Demetrious! Come out! It’s dead!’ His shout echoed around the courtyard. Demetrious’ head appeared around a doorway.

‘Phoebus above! You killed it! I don’t believe it. Oh, dear gods! What is the world coming to? Where did this come from?’ Demetrious collapsed onto a boulder. Adastros approached him.

‘Are you all right, my friend?’ He was smiling,

‘I’m fine, my lord. Are you?’

‘I think so, now. That was actually fun.’

‘Fun!’ Demetrious looked aghast. ‘That was fun?’

‘Not at the time, but now I find myself strangely invigorated.’

‘Phoebus above!’ Demetrious said again. ‘My poor heart!’

‘I think you should call it a day, friend.’ Adastros was in a very good mood.

‘Yes, indeed. I need some water.’

‘You get yourself some water. I need to send a message to the mainland.’

‘To the Emperor?’

‘Yes, the Emperor. And someone else. I’ll need some reinforcements, if I’m going go back down that tunnel.’

‘Reinforcements? Back down the tunnel?’ Demetrious shook his head. ‘Will there be more of these monsters?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Adastros, grinning. ‘Lot’s more, I’m afraid.’

End Phoenicia One