Master Novice - Part 10

Far, far away from our heroes, and yet just a moment away, a short, balding man sat staring into a crystal ball. He watched the images in the ball, and said, "Soon, children, soon. You have come so far, yet you have so much farther to go."

"I still can't believe that everybody forgot about those stupid day passes!"

"Shut up, Eric." Hank turned to the city guard. "Thanks for taking it so easy on us."

"No prob'em, stranger. If it was up t'me, I'd let ya stay here, but the least punishment I c'n give ya is ejection." As the guard turned to reenter the city, he added, "But next time, buy a 6-day pass instead."

Four days later, they stood at the gates to Depelos. They arrived at the large port city late in the day, and it was dark by the time they found an inn. Tired from their travels, they all were soon sound asleep.

Sometime after midnight, Aurora's eyes snapped open. Though she had only slept for a few hours, she felt fully rested. She sat up, taking care not to disturb her mother, who was sleeping in the other bed in the room.

She could feel something... pulling her. She couldn't quite place the sensation, but she had the distinct feeling that someone was summoning her. She stood up and walked to the door, not bothering to pull on her shoes. Cautiously pulling it open, she glanced back at her mother before slipping out.

She walked down the stairs to the main room. The few patrons in the inn's tavern ignored the waifish child as she walked barefoot out the door.

Outside, she looked around, uncertain what to do next. She heard a noise near her feet and looked down. A ferret was staring up at her intently, unafraid of the comparatively large child. It turned and ran down the street for a few feet, then turned and looked back at Aurora. Without hesitation, she followed the animal into the night's gloom.

"Aurora? Aurora!"

Hank was pulling on his boots when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

Natasha entered, frowning. "Have you seen Aurora? She's not in our room."

Hank shrugged. "Check with Robert."

Sheila added, "Maybe she got hungry and is eating downstairs."

Natasha nodded, frowning more. "That isn't like her..." She turned away, closing the door behind herself.

Hank stood. "Speaking of food, I'm starving. Coming?"

Sheila said, "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Hank wandered down into the tavern, and finding Eric and Preston already eating breakfast, joined them at their table. He noticed Natasha was engaged in conversation with the bartender, her frown giving way to the faintest trace of worry. As he ate, he told the others that Aurora had left her room and wasn't around.

Presently, Sheila came downstairs and joined Natasha in conversation with the bartender. After a few minutes, the women turned away from the bar, concern shadowing their faces. As they approached the table, Diana joined them, and Hank asked, "Anything?"

Sheila shook her head, "Nothing." She sighed. "We need to search the inn - she may have gone into the wrong room or something."

Natasha sniffed. "Not likely - her memory is at least as good as mine."

Just then, a small furry animal leaped onto the table, startling them all. Eric was about to slap it off the table when Preston said, "Hold on!"

The creature, a ferret, was holding something in its paws, apparently meaning for Preston to take it, which he did. Discovering it was a folded piece of parchment, he opened it and read the note aloud: "My dear travelers - I do apologize for causing you concern. Aurora is with me in the North Tower, where she is quite safe. I bid you join us to discuss the nature of her troubles, or at the very least, to reclaim your silent daughter. Warmest regards, Senna Dziubinska." He finished reading and looked up. "Well, there's the answer to that."

Hank looked at Natasha. "Well, shall we go with you?"

Natasha's lips were pressed together. "How dare she...!"

Preston said, "From the sound of this letter, this Senna person seems to expect us all there."

Hank shrugged. "Fine. But first, we eat."

Preston nodded, and turned to the creature. "Ferret, return to your master. Tell her that we shall be along once we have eaten." The animal scurried off the table.

Natasha looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious? Someone that we don't know has MY DAUGHTER, and you want to just sit and EAT?!"

Preston shrugged. "A full stomach leads to clearer thinking. A clear head will doubtless be needed while discussing something of this nature. I'm assuming that she is safe and has been fed."

He placed the paper face down on the table, only then noticing more writing on the back. "Let me reassure you that Aurora is quite safe, and yes, Wizard, I have fed her. It is well that you should eat, too, as my supplies are not endless."

Surprised, Preston looked around, finally noticing the same ferret (or perhaps a different one) watching him from the door. He gave the smallest smile and nodded at the fuzzball, which immediately turned and scurried out the door.

After a small breakfast, during which Natasha did nothing but move her share around, they set off in the direction the barkeeper indicated. Soon, they came to the town square, from which they could see a that the town was surrounded by a circle of eight towers, one placed at each major point of the compass. They headed toward the tower to the north, keeping a wary eye out for trouble but encountering none.

The single door to the tower opened as they approached.

They entered cautiously, not sure what to expect. The chamber they entered was large, apparently covering the entire base of the tower. In the center of the room was a spiral staircase leading up, wrapped around the tower's central column. As the entered the tower, a glowing, disembodied hand floated down the stairs, to halt at the base. It seemed to consider the group for a moment, then one-by-one pointed at Natasha, Robert, and Preston, to whom it beckoned and pointed up the stairs.

They advanced, followed closely by their companions, but as soon as the indicated three were climbing the stairs, the hand placed itself in front of the stairs, blocking the way for the rest of the party. Hank said, "We'd like to go up," but the hand waved itself in a negative gesture, then pointed at a couch near the wall.

Eric threw his hands up in the air. "Just what we need. More waiting."

They sat and watched the hand guard the stairs, listened as the others' footsteps faded into the heights of the tower.

Preston smiled to himself. It was just like Eric to complain about waiting.

They finally reached the top of the stairs, and apparently the top of the tower as well. Above Natasha's head was a trapdoor. She pressed against it and it easily swung in, revealing a well-lit chamber beyond.

"Please, wizards, monk, enter. Be you welcome in my house this morn." The voice had an airy quality to it. Preston was reminded of an old Marilyn Monroe movie he'd seen.

As they entered, they saw Aurora sleeping on a couch in a corner. Robert and Natasha immediately rushed over to her, but Robert kept Natasha from waking the child. Preston turned, noting the contents of the room to be very wizard-like, until he saw the apparent owner of the airy voice. "Senna Dziubinska, I presume," he said, bowing.

She was rather short, and to Preston's eyes, very thin. Her eyes were large and almond-shaped, though not in the same manner as the Orientals of Earth. Her ears rose dramatically from her head, narrowing to sharp points. Her face seemed excessively angular to Preston, and was framed by hair so light it was almost white. Changing his bow to the fashion of her people, he said, "An'hearach nalthain, mo charan."

Mild surprised registered in the almond eyes. "Vo menshai, shenlan. It is very rare to meet one who speaks high elven this far east."

Smiling, he said, "Not as rare as finding an elf in this region, I'd wager. But we are from the west, near the wood of Arvelinas..."

The elf's eyes grew wide, and she interrupted, "Arvelinas! But that is my home! What news have you?"

The smile faded from Preston's face. "Well, not much, really. As you know, not many humans are welcome there, and even I am barely tolerated. Plus it's pretty far out of the way of my travels."

The elf seemed crestfallen. "Well, what of the King and Queen? And the forest itself?"

"Uh, well, they're doing good, I suppose, but the only elves I'm familiar with are the wizards..."

They were interrupted by Robert clearing his throat. "I hate to interrupt old-home week here, but we'd like to know if you've discovered anything about Aurora's... condition, if you will."

The elven sorceress turned her attention to Natasha. "Your daughter is the subject of a pseudo-magical command to not speak. The creator must have been very powerful, for I can do nothing to break the command."

Robert said, "Pseudo-magical? Meaning what?"

"It appears to be magic, and acts much like magic would, but it is most definitely not magic. It is something entirely else, though what I know not."

Robert thought for a moment. "So a simple remove curse spell wouldn't do anything?"

Senna shrugged, the human gesture seeming out of place on her slender frame. "I don't know. I doubt it."

"So, then..." Robert paused. "Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"Well, I've been conducting some research for a few days now..."

Natasha ignored the others' babbling. She wasn't overly concerned with her daughter's inability to speak. "So much the better," she thought.

She acted like she was overwhelmed with concern for her daughter, but the whole time she was surreptitiously studying the contents of the chamber. Seeing some extremely rare items, she thought to herself, "Gods...! These things - I could use them... I could bring Father back right now!"

She glanced over at the other three, then made her choice. Completely turning away from them, she quietly uttered a spell to lock the trapdoor.

She stood and began to look for something she could use, trying to appear like she was absently browsing. The others were still deep in conversation, so she was pretty much ignored.

Finally, she found something that would serve, a large piece of quartz that radiated very strong magic. Lightly fondling it, she discovered that it was a powerful focus that would let her cast much more powerful spells than normal. Perfect...

"Grampa?"

Aurora's grandfather looked down at her, away from the large window he had been staring through. "Aurora? I did not expect you to return so soon."

Aurora looked up at the man she had only met in her dreams. The wings, the horn on the helm he always wore - all were as familiar to her as her own face. After a moment, she said, "Mama says that you were im... impur..."

Her grandfather grimaced. "Imprisoned? Yes, indeed I was, though that was long before you were born."

"Why?"

He looked away, and was silent for a long time. Aurora was about to repeat herself when he replied, "There were some... people. I had a... disagreement... with them, about the way things should be. Eventually, they gained the upper hand, and used foul magicks to entrap me here."

"But, Grampa, can't you ever get out?"

He sighed. "I can, but outside of this place are greater dangers than even I care to face, and I am unable to return to my home."

She thought for a moment, then said, "Is there anything I can do, Grampa?"

Her grandfather smiled. "You can stay a while and keep me company, my dear."

Aurora looked through the window. Through it she could see her mother, along with Preston, Robert, and the teacher-woman. And there in the corner, she could see herself! "Grampa! Am I dreaming?"

"Of course you are, child," he replied. "It is through your dreams that you have always visited me, but this is never an ordinary dream - here you are as real as at home. Through this window, we can observe any place we wish. I have ever followed you, through all your early years, even during the years of slavery, though I could do nothing to help you."

She couldn't think of anything to say. She felt helpless to do anything but watch events unfold through the window.

Robert heard Natasha quietly talking near her daughter. Part of his mind registered it as having the particular tone of a spell being cast. He turned to see what she was doing, but before he had turned halfway, Natasha cried out, "Preston! They mean to harm Aurora and myself!" Robert quickly turned the rest of the way, seeing no one but Natasha and Aurora, the woman already casting another spell. As he raised his staff, he heard Preston cast a spell.

Robert quickly turned in his direction, just in time to see a series of glowing balls leap from Preston's hands. Some headed for Senna, dissipating against some kind of magic barrier she had quickly erected, but most of them slammed into Robert himself with enough force to throw him against the wall, cracking his skull hard against the stone. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Preston say...

"I won't let you hurt her! I love her!" yelled the infuriated wizard.

Senna poured her strength into her protective barrier. "No, wizard! You've been enchanted! Fight it! I am not your enemy!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. He cast another spell, and Senna felt it hammer into her barriers. "Please, wizard, I beg of you! Cease this! The true enemy is behind you!"

Preston glanced behind himself, then grinned and began casting again. "I already told you - I love her. You, however - you kidnapped her only child, virtually held her at ransom, and then you attack her! Who is the enemy indeed!"

Senna gave up arguing. He was thoroughly ensorcelled, and arguing was just wasting time and her strength. She began preparing a spell that she had hoped she'd never have to cast - a death spell. She didn't want to kill the charmed wizard, but the only other spells she had ready were of a non-combative nature. She finished the casting just as another attack pounded against her barriers.

She waited until the attacking spell ceased, then dropped her defenses to cast her own spell. It was all-or-nothing, no turning back. She heard her servant pounding on the trapdoor. "Too late," she though, "too late." She opened her mouth to speak the final word...

"I won't let you hurt her! I love her!"

Everyone leapt to their feet. Hank unnecessarily said, "That was Preston!" They all ran for the stairs, just as the glowing hand shot straight up through the tower.

As they ran up the stairs, they heard an explosion. At the top, they found a trapdoor sealed shut, the glowing hand hammering on it. "Move aside!" yelled Hank as he came barreling up. The hand whipped out of the way just as Hank smashed into the trap door. The door smashed into pieces, and they all flooded into the room.

The top of the tower appeared to have exploded out - the ceiling and walls were completely gone. Natasha was floating in the air, Aurora was also levitating, but appeared to be unconscious, laying flat in front of her mother.

Natasha yelled out, "Preston! They also seek to harm us!"

Hank turned and saw Preston, casting a spell. Without thinking, Hank bum-rushed his friend, knocking him over and ruining the spell. For a moment they scuffled on the floor, but Hank quickly subdued the wizard, knocking him unconscious. Hank rested a moment, saying, "I'm sorry, Preston."

"Hank!"

Hank snapped his head up at Diana's cry. Natasha and Aurora were now nearly twenty feet over Hank's head, and surrounded in a magical glimmer. "Natasha! What are you doing?!"

The woman ignored Hank for a moment, then looked down at them. "What does it look like, fools?! I'm casting a spell!"

Hank looked around at what was left of the room. Preston lay on the floor, his breathing uneven. The sorceress' broken body was nearby, her head at an unnatural angle. Sheila knelt next to her fallen brother, cradling his head in her lap, trying to wake him. Eric and Diana were staring up at the floating woman and girl, unable to reach them. Hank readied his bow. "Natasha! Please come down! Whatever you're planning, don't do it!"

Natasha once more ignored him. Hank tried to aim his bow at her, but the magical shimmer was intensifying, making it nearly impossible to tell who or what he was pointing at. He lowered his weapon, defeated.

"Grampa! What is she doing now? What is she doing to me?"

Aurora's grandfather placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's making things alright."

Aurora shuddered. "But Grampa, it's making me feel funny. I don't feel so good..."

"Hush, child. It will all be over soon..."

Helpless, Aurora continued to watch.

Natasha was nearly finished with the casting. She felt a faint tugging, and taking this as a sign that things were proceeding correctly, she cast the final bit of magic.

Sheila cradled her brother's head in her arms. He was seriously hurt - his head was slightly caved in on one side, and he was bleeding profusely. She knew that even in a hospital back on Earth it would be uncertain, but here, there was virtually no hope at all. "Come on, Bobby - please wake up. Please? It's going to be okay - just open your eyes, okay?"

"Hank! Do something!"

Hank raised his bow again, this time sighting for Natasha's head, or as near to it as he could get. Under his breath, he murmured, "Forgive me..." and released the energy bolt.

It flew true, flying straight for her head, but as it hit the magic field, it burst, its energies scattering and doing no harm.

They all heard a great tearing sound, like heavy fabric giving way. Natasha felt her daughter's body fade out of this plane of existence. She was completely gone when the tearing sound ended.

There was a large tear in the air near Natasha. Beyond it was a great darkness, too dark to see into. A large gloved hand reached out and grasped the edge of the tear, soon joined by another. A large boot stepped out of the tear, and then a head, wearing an all-too-familiar helmet, adorned with a single curved horn. The heroes were paralyzed with disbelief and fear.

Venger had returned to the Realms.