Джейн Рэйб - Red Magic

Whatever the Red Wizard was mixing in the small bowl made Galvin’s eyes water as he peered out through the wire mesh cage. He watched Maligor finish stirring the noxious brew, then saw the wizard place it in the cage with the lizards and snakes. For a moment, Galvin felt relieved, for he and the animals watching from their crowded cage had worried that the concoction was meant for them.

Then their relief turned to terror, as the wizard turned his gaze toward the cage filled with hedgehogs and moles. The wizard drummed his slender fingers across the front of the cage, then reached up to lace his fingers about a wire handle on top. Galvin felt himself being lifted, and his small hedgehog feet scrabbled against the wire mesh bottom to stay upright.

Across the room the cage was toted, then down, down. They passed doors and long-haired humans bowing low to Maligor. Then the wizard stopped before a wall, which parted to reveal more stairs. A new stench wafted up from the bowels of the tower as Maligor and his furry charges descended still farther. The druid could smell the fear of the other animals in the cage. It mingled with the unknown scent of something living below.

Several moments later, Maligor emerged with the cage into the darkenbeast chamber, and the moles and hedgehogs chittered amongst themselves in dread. Galvin felt himself huddling at the back of the cage, trying to hide. He closed his tiny eyes, hearing the squeals of his brothers as they were pulled from the cage by the wizard’s bony hands. More and more animals were hauled out of the cage, and the druid wrapped his tiny, trembling claws about the back mesh.

Then he heard the cage door latch shut, and he relaxed enough to notice that he and four companions had been spared. Skittering to the front of the cage, he pushed his face against the mesh to see what was transpiring. The druid watched in horror as Maligor mumbled something incomprehensible, and the group of small animals on the stone at his feet began to bubble, stretch, and transform grotesquely into enormous bat creatures that screamed and flapped their leathery wings.

The druid watched as his one-time brothers took to flight in the chamber to join hundreds of other creatures just like them. The things skimmed below the ceiling, clung to the walls, and voiced their hideous screams.

Galvin felt himself being lifted again, beginning the long ascent to the laboratory.

Trembling, the druid severed his mental link with the hedgehog to see Brenna staring at him. Clutching the animal to his chest, he whirled from the table and started toward the door.

“Come on!” the druid urged. “I’ve got a few things to do before we start after Maligor. And we’ve left Wynter alone far too long.”

“Do you know where Maligor’s going?” Brenna asked, hurrying to catch up with him and stepping over the pile of ashes beyond the doorway, the remnants of the Red Wizard’s apprentice.

“Not yet. But I know what he’s up to.” The druid took the steps two at a time and quickly found himself back with the slaves he had left in the apprentices’ chambers.

Rushing inside, Galvin found the slaves going through the apprentices’ belongings, taking objects that might be valuable. He disregarded their looting and strode to the nearest man.

“Take care of these animals. Get them food, water,” Galvin ordered. “Keep them under close watch for a while. They’re not healthy enough to be turned loose.” Gently he handed the mole and hedgehog to the man. Brenna gave the hare to the slave girl from Aglarond.

“Somehow we have to get below the tower,” Galvin said. “Maligor’s got creatures there like the one that attacked us at our camp.”

“What are you talking about?” Brenna was perplexed and a little worried about the druid’s agitated state.

“I don’t have time to explain now. We’ve got to hurry.”

“But we’ve been all over the ground floor,” she sputtered. “There was nothing below that tower.”

“He’s got some kind of a secret door,” Galvin said quickly. Then he pounded down the stairs, pulling Brenna along with him, until he stopped on the third floor. He released her hand and strode to the chamber where they had left the pleasure slaves. The chest was still secure against the doors, but Wynter was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn!” he exclaimed. “I should never have asked him to stay here. He’s like a child.” The druid pushed the chest aside and threw open the doors. The scantily clad pleasure slaves stared at him nervously.

“Get out of here!” Galvin shouted. “Maligor won’t be back. Run! Get as far away from this evil place as you can. You’re free.” He spun back toward the hall, not waiting to watch their response. He charged off to find the centaur.

“Why are you so certain the Red Wizard won’t be back?” Brenna asked as she hurried to keep up with him.

“Because I’m going to find him, Brenna, and when I do, I’m going to kill him.”

They ran down one corridor after another, throwing open doors to rooms and calling for Wynter.

The color drained from Galvin’s face as he searched, fearing for the safety of his confused friend. Galvin cursed himself for not keeping Wynter with him, but the druid had feared the centaur would slow them down. His equine legs weren’t meant for the spiral staircases.

With Brenna close behind him, the druid bolted into the kitchen to find Wynter staring at his reflection in the glass of the china cabinet. The centaur slowly turned, a puzzled expression etched on his tanned face.

“We’re in Thay, aren’t we?” Wynter stated simply. “I remember now.” He scratched at a circular scab on his temple. “I remember that I used to live in Thay, but I can’t remember why I’m here now.”

Brenna rushed to him and threw her arms about his waist. “We’ll help you remember, Wynter,” she said quickly.

“My head hurts, Brenna,” the centaur said, scratching at the scab again.

“Come on, both of you,” Galvin coaxed. The druid was relieved to find his friend, and he was encouraged that the centaur seemed to have recovered at least a little. But the druid was in a hurry to get below the castle. He was too close to discovering Maligor’s secret to slow down now.

In the hallway beyond the kitchen, Galvin began to pull tapestries and paintings from the wall, searching for some sign of a door that would lead to the chamber he had seen while he was linked to the hedgehog.

“He’s probably using magic to hide the door you’re looking for, altering its appearance to blend in with the walls. There are certain spells designed to mask such things.” Brenna’s voice was tinged with concern. “We don’t have much more time, Galvin. We’ve been here several hours already. The undead outside …”

“Are no doubt getting anxious—at least the ones that can think. I know, we’ve got to hurry and find some answers or they’ll turn on us or force us to march after the gnolls right away. I’m not even sure we should be going after the gnoll army—not if we want to catch Maligor.” He stroked his chin, then began to examine the walls carefully. “I think I know how to get us underground, although not without a lot of effort. I should have done this to begin with.”

The druid dropped to his knees before the smooth stone wall. Spreading his fingers wide along the base of the stone, he placed his forehead against the wall, almost as if he were pushing against it. Then he began to hum a low, simple tune Brenna had never heard. As a child, the sorceress had been told stories that powerful druids were able to talk to the very earth, get stones to speak, dirt to sing, and the ground to reveal its secrets. She hadn’t dreamed that Galvin possessed such abilities.

The young councilwoman always assumed that the arcane energies of magic were the most powerful forces in the realm. Yet without any of that, using merely simple gesture and tune, the druid was performing a type of magic she thought was only legend.