Robert Keller - The Heart of Shadows

Lannon focused on scampering up the rope. The Eye did indeed help him climb faster, and he soon stood on the next floor, gazing down through the hole and feeling pride in his accomplishment. He was standing in snow that had blown in through the tower windows (as their shutters were long gone).

Taris took off his boots and put them in his pack, exposing his large, muscular Birlote feet that had claw-like toenails. He went up the rope like a spider, moving even faster than Lannon had. When he reached the top, he grabbed the edge of the hole and pulled himself up with ease, as if he were completely weightless.

Lannon sensed the chamber they stood in used to be a library, and he would have loved to see the books it contained-but the books and even the shelves they once rested on were long gone. A few gargoyle statues with claws outstretched and long, hooked beaks still protruded from the walls, and a large stone fireplace was still intact. Sadness filled Lannon as he looked around, and he longed to see the tower as it had once been-to glimpse it with his own eyes and not the Eye of Divinity. He wanted the keep exactly as it used to be and would have gladly done the work to restore it. But the corruption of the Deep Shadow permeated everything, making restoration of the tower out of the question. And, Lannon reminded himself, there was no point to restoring it anyway. He was a Squire of Dremlock, and Dremlock was his home until he retired from Knighthood-if he ever chose to retire. Still, the longing in his heart remained.

They took a stairway up to the next floor and found stone tables and chairs still intact. This was either a dining hall or meeting hall-or both. There were no windows here, and no snow. Just frosty stone walls. Lannon took a seat in one of the chairs and found it comfortable enough. The smooth stone was sculpted to the shape of his body and, in spite of the freezing air, felt strangely warm beneath him. He relaxed for a moment, lost in his ponderings of the tower.

Taris smiled and pointed at another stairway. "This is no time for rest, my young friend. Our journey must take us to the very peak of this tower."

They went up three more floors and found storage rooms, bedchambers, and barren rooms with no discernable purpose. Lannon wanted to carefully examine each room with the Eye, but Taris kept him moving. At last they stood in a chamber where a hole in the ceiling was sixty feet above them and just barely visible in the light of the Birlote torch-a hole that was ten feet beyond the length of Lannon's rope. The walls were smooth marble and looked impossible to climb, curving inward toward the top. Clearly, the Dark Watchman had wanted it to be very difficult for anyone to reach the chamber above.

"I am greatly intrigued by that chamber up there," said Taris. "When I was last here, I was able to withstand the dark sorcery that guards it and ascend through the hole. But then I was confronted by a cube of Glaetherin-like a huge safe-protected by a wheel lock which no one today would know how to open. Completely impenetrable."

Not completely impenetrable, Lannon thought, remembering how Vannas had cut through a slab of Glaetherin with the White Flamestone.

"I suspect that safe contains items that were of great importance to the Dark Watchmen," said Taris. "Items that should pass to you, Lannon-if, that is, you can manage to open the wheel lock."

"I have opened them before," said Lannon, eager to learn what treasures the safe contained.

"This one is very complex," said Taris, "designed only for someone with full command of the Eye."

"Then we should have brought Prince Vannas," said Lannon. "It would take some time, but he could cut through it."

"No," said Taris. "The safe should only be opened by one who is worthy-one who is ready to possess what lies within. If you can't do it yourself, then you have no right to lay claim to what it holds."

"How are we even going to get up there?" said Lannon.

"I can climb walls," said Taris, smiling.

"But I'm not a Birlote," said Lannon, "so I can't."

"It has nothing to do with being a Birlote," said Taris. "A Birlote only climbs trees or rugged surfaces, but I can climb any surface. It has taken decades, but I've mastered the sorcery that allows me to bind myself to smooth walls. However, you'll have to use your rope and the power of the Eye. I'll meet you up there. Beware of the dark sorcery that will seek to turn you away."

Taris handed Lannon the torch and proceeded to climb slowly up the marble wall. Taris grunted with strain as he moved upward. Clearly, it took immense energy to bind the sorcerer to the stone. Lannon found himself amazed yet again at Taris Warhawk's abilities. The Tower Master was truly on a skill level that few had ever reached. Birlotes by nature had extreme talent for sorcery, yet Taris was exceptional even amongst them.

Lannon seized his grapple hook with the Eye and hurled it at the hole, letting go of the rope. He guided it upward and found a stone ring to snag on the chamber floor. But now the rope's end was nearly fifteen feet above him.

"I can't reach it," he called to Taris.

"Levitate," was Taris' reply.

Lannon sighed, hating the prospect of levitation. As he used the Eye to try to lift himself into the air, the unpleasant feeling of his power battling his own body made him nauseous. Instantly, he felt drained. He realized he was never going to enjoy levitation-which explained why the Dark Watchmen had favored rope and grapple hooks. Slowly he lifted himself high enough to grab the rope. He hung there for a moment, feeling exhausted and dizzy, the slender Birlote torch clenched in his teeth. Then he started upward. As he climbed, an overwhelming fear gripped him-dark sorcery, radiating from sources hidden in the marble walls, making him want to flee from the keep. He fought back with the Eye, pushing the fear from his mind, and managed to keep climbing.

At last the two of them stood in the chamber with the oversized safe. This was little more than a small room at the very peak of the tower, with the safe taking up most of the space. Lannon went right to work, pressing his hands against the wheel lock and using the Eye to guide his movements. He was confident he would open it easily, but his first attempt failed. His confidence shaken, he tried several more times and finally gave up in frustration.

Taris nodded. "You don't yet have the skill to open it. I'm not surprised. You can try again another time."

Lannon was disgusted with himself for failing. Using the Eye, he gazed into the safe. He found six fancy swords-all made of Glaetherin-and one huge book that held writings about the affairs of the Dark Watchmen and Silverland. The book, which was titled Shadows of Ollanhar also contained the deepest secrets of the Watchmen and their skills. Lannon could have stood there and read the book without turning a page (and would have loved to do so, had he more time), for the Eye could glimpse everything inside it. The safe also contained a large silver chalice with an inscription on it that read The Essence Cup, and a detailed map of Silverland that revealed portals to Tharnin-one of which was marked right where the Watchmen's Keep stood. And finally, there was a scroll that revealed six hidden chambers in the tower.

Lannon reported his findings to Taris.

"Are the items cursed by Tharnin?" Taris asked.

Lannon peered into the safe again, but couldn't answer Taris' question. The swords, the chalice, and the huge book held the presence of sorcery, but the Eye couldn't reveal whether or not it was of Tharnin.

"The Deep Shadow is indeed tricky," said Taris. "But if you had full mastery of the Eye, it would not be able to conceal itself from you so easily. My guess is that those swords used to belong to the six Dark Watchmen who are buried below this keep. The remains of the other sixteen Watchmen reside in Dremlock Cemetery. These six were the last to perish, but it appears they were hoping someone would restore the order someday. Someone like you, Lannon. These items were left here for a reason, impervious to time and theft."