NexLord: Dark Prophecies (36 page)

 Katek looked at its distance from the
Seat and said, "You think that is the exit?  Fine then,
the bet is on.  But to win your choice must have the exit
within."

Lor agreed.

Aerin entered the conversation, "Which shall
we check out first?"

"Mine," Lor stated, "It will save us a
trip."

Katek raised both
eyebrows
but nodded.

"Fine, one of us should stay here and watch
the main gate," Aerin suggested.

"I'll stay," Katek offered.

Lor looked surprised, "You'll trust me?"

"No," he said with a grin, "I'll trust
Aerin."

Lor smiled, "You'll pay for that, Kat; I'm
going to need a lot of bath water."

Katek grinned at Lor, "You know, if I win you
will have to carry my bath water for a month, and if you win, well,
I'll have proven that you really do know an awful lot about being a
thief.  How else would you know this kind of thing?"

Lor opened her mouth in surprise, but Aerin
grabbed her arm and pulled, "Come on, Lor, we need to get
moving."

Lor was still sputtering when the two of them
reached the empty street.  Normally there would have been
more traffic, but people were huddled in their homes or gathered in
common rooms around the city.  The siege had sobered a
city full of people who had grown up with the thought that they
were invincible.  The idea that their seat of power could
be put under siege was beyond their comprehension. It was
terrifying to realize that in this day and age Togroths could act
together as an army instead of the small hunting bands
which were occasionally seen
from border
watchtowers.

Aerin glanced at his upset friend, "Lor, you
are going to have to stop underestimating Kat.  He isn't
stupid; he just tends to think things through and then act."

Lor made no comment.

When they reached the old building they
looked over the wrapped chain that barred them from opening the
door.  It was surprisingly new, with two large locks that
showed signs of age in their coloring, but were of
newer
design.

A set of lock picks appeared in Lor's
fingers, but she paused when she noted Aerin smiling at the sight
of them.

"Not you, too?” she asked.

Aerin put up his hands in surrender.

Lor started to pick the first
lock.  "All right, you know I've permanently borrowed a
thing or two in my past, but just because I've stolen doesn't give
our moral 'gladiator' the right to call me a thief!” she argued in
a
way
which Aerin saw as totally
illogical.

"I don't believe he actually called you a
thief," Aerin noted.

The first lock opened and Lor started in on
the second.  "No, but he is pretty high and mighty about
even consorting with
them
as if
they wouldn't just laugh and slit his throat!"

Aerin didn't want to know who 'they' were, so
he let her comment go by.

There was a loud 'click' from the second lock
that echoed around the still street.  Aerin and Lor
looked around but the streets were still empty.

As quietly as possible, Lor unwound the chain
and piled it on the step below the door.  It made
considerable noise, but it couldn't be helped.

"Come on," Lor whispered, opening the old
door and stepping into the dark interior, so they could get off the
street and out of sight. 

Aerin followed his friend into the darkness,
and heard her say something that sounded like, "
Ooof
."

"Where are you, Lor?" Aerin
whispered
and then something hit him in the
stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Strong hands grabbed him by the
arms.  He struggled, but the first blow had sapped his
strength. His invisible attackers soon had a hood over his head and
his hands bound behind his back.  They tossed him into a
corner, where he landed partially on stone and partially on
something softer.  He realized it was a skinny
body.  "Lor?” he whispered through his hood, but there
was no answer.

Aerin heard the thick old door close, and
then he heard the deep rumble of subdued voices
speaking.  His blood ran cold when he recognized the
Togroth speech he had heard twice before in his life. 
This time,
he could understand
parts of what they said.  Much to her student’s dismay,
Mara had included Tog in their instruction schedule over the past
few months.

He caught the words, "Kill and eat them
now?"

Blind, bound and having his future discussed
as a possible meal started to break down Aerin's control and he
shook in fear.

A new voice spoke in Tog, but this one came
from a human throat.  Aerin couldn't make out the first
thing the human said, but then he caught enough to understand the
next sentence.

"…might be best.  It must be done
swiftly. I will bring out the prize soon and I don't want him
suspicious.  Just to make sure, let me take a look at
these children before you start."

Aerin felt the air moving and someone's hand
touched him.  He scrambled
away
and found himself against the stone wall.

Their human captor chuckled evilly, "He seems
awake, let's have a look at his companion."

Aerin tried to kick in the direction of the
voice to keep them from Lor's unprotected body.

Again he heard the chuckle, then the voice
spoke in Tog again, "Kill him."

Aerin knew he only had seconds to
live.  He remembered Mara's teachings and tried to gather
in the reins of his fear, but he was terrified.  He
couldn't think with the fear clouding his mind, and this might be
his last chance.

A new voice spoke and Aerin started shaking
in abject terror, it was the whispering voice.  This was
the one that had spoken in the
sewers
when he had been terrified of the dead Guardsman;
the same voice that had spoken to him in the Arena the day that
Temmen had died.  It was the voice he associated with the
Dreadmaster.

"The boy attempts to control his fear, even
in your presence, Betrayer.  This is a strength I can
use."

The human voice spoke again, near Aerin, and
there was a note of surprise, “Yes, all the more reason to kill
it."

"No, you will bring him to
me.  Strength like this does not come along often, and I
don't trust those prophecies, this boy could be the one."

The voice that had been addressed as
'Betrayer' answered, "I think this is a mistake, one slash of my
dagger and this potential problem is dead
forev
..."

Betrayer was interrupted, not by the voice,
but by an enormous weight of fear.  It was as if the very
air had turned solid and heavy.  Aerin felt his heart
stop, nothing he had ever been afraid of in his entire life was
like this; it nearly killed him.

Even the unconscious Lor moved as if trying
to run; though she was on her side on the floor.

Then it stopped, and Aerin's heart beat
again.

Betrayer's voice was much subdued; "It will
be as you ask."

"Do not question me again! This is causing me
much effort to maintain cohesion, I will leave you," the whispered
voice said, and then it spoke in English, "Good to see you again,
Aerin."

Aerin's heart, though stopped a moment before
was now beating as if trying to escape his chest.  Once
again he
sought
control and
brought it down over his rampant emotions.

"Very impressive," the voice said, then in
Tog added, "Bring them both to the Chamber, along with the Trelic
heir."

Betrayer answered in a more subservient tone,
"Yes, Master."

As if a clamp had been removed from squeezing
his heart, Aerin felt the presence leave.  Then he heard
Betrayer's voice speaking to the Togroth.  "You there,
pick up both of the prisoners and bring them along;
otherwise,
the rest of you would probably eat
them while I'm gone."

A large hand grabbed the back of Aerin's
tunic, and he heard the material rip. Aerin pictured the pointed
black talons of the Togroth's claws piercing through.  He
was lifted, like a piece of luggage.  For all his
training, Aerin realized he was just that to a Togroth, nothing but
a lump of meat.  From the sounds of ripping cloth, Aerin
figured Lor was suspended from the beast's left hand.

From the
jostling,
he thought they descended
stairs.  Lor's voice spoke a moment later, "Kat is going
to lose."

"Lor!" Aerin said, having heard the muffled
voice of his friend.

"Shut up or I will have the Tog bash you over
the head again," Betrayer advised.  "Now, who is this
Kat?” he asked Lor.

"Go eat crap," Lor answered.

"Punish her," Betrayer said in Tog.

There was a muffled thump and Lor groaned,
"Shit eater," she managed.

"Whom were you talking about?" Betrayer asked
again.

"My pet, and I won't tell you where I left
him.  You would probably have these beasts hunt him
down."

"An animal, good," Betrayer said.

Aerin scored one for Lor, but it was a small
victory.

Betrayer spoke to the Tog, "Place them there,
now return to the others and wait for me."

They were set roughly on the damp stone and
they heard the echoing footsteps of the Togroth leaving back down
the tunnel.  Then there was silence.

Aerin scooted around to see if he could get
his fingers near Lor's bonds.

He lost a year's growth when Betrayer spoke
from inches away, "I'm staying right here, and there is nothing
more I'd like to do than to consume you both, so go ahead, try and
escape."

Aerin stopped moving and just lay there,
sweating in the cold.

"Next time one of you moves I will stick a
dagger in the back of your knee and then twist it around to sever
the tendons so you’ll never walk again."

Neither Aerin nor Lor attempted to move.

Time passed, and Aerin became aware of the
beating of his own heart.  It seemed loud in the quiet
darkness.  Try as he might, he couldn't hear any sounds
to let him know if Betrayer was nearby.

But he hadn't heard him leave, and the
Togroth's footsteps had echoed loudly.

Once again Aerin went over Mara's teaching
and gained control over his emotions.  After he was calm
he spoke to Lor.  "Are you all right?"

After a moment Lor spoke, "I'm just fine and
dandy.  I like lying on the floor in the cold waiting for
some sick shit to cut the tendons in my leg."

"I think he's gone.  Get hold of
your emotions, we need to think."

There was a pause, and then Lor answered, "I
AM in control."

Aerin, however, noted a calmer tone in Lor's
voice. "Good, then let's move together and see about getting these
ropes off."

Lor called out, "Hey, Betrayer, tell hero
here to lay still."

Aerin answered Lor instead, "I'm sure he's
gone."

"And how are you sure?" Lor wanted to
know.

"I'm not, but I can't stand laying here
wondering anymore!"

"All right," Lor decided, "Then hurry up and
get over here!"

They both wiggled until they were close
enough to touch.  Aerin tried to feel for Lor's
knots.

"Relax, clumsy," Lor admonished.

Aerin relaxed and soon felt Lor's agile
fingers working on the knots of the rope that bound him.

From down the
corridor,
they heard some sounds, though they were
muffled.

"Hurry!" Aerin demanded in a whisper, wishing
he'd had the courage to start this sooner.

Lor started grunting with the effort and
Aerin suddenly felt the ropes loosen on his wrists.  He
quickly started struggling with them and managed to drag one hand
out of the loops.  He pulled the hood off of his head
only to find it pitch dark anyway.

"Hurry, untie me!" Lor demanded.

Down the hallway from the way they had
originally come they heard a Togroth voice and then a door
opening.

"Never mind," Lor said, changing her mind,
"just get me to my feet and let's move!"

Aerin dragged the bound Lor up and grabbed
her upper arm to guide her, then headed away from the sounds of the
Togroths behind them.

They both stumbled to their knees instantly
as they ran into a stairway that started up right in front of
them.

Aerin cursed and helped Lor up again and then
they went up the
stairs
as if the
Dreadmaster was in the tunnel behind them.

There was some sort of panel blocking the way
at the top of the stairs, and Lor rebounded off it before Aerin
could stop her momentum.  He did manage to keep her from
pitching back down the stairs.  Aerin could just make out
a little glow of light around the edges of the panel.

Behind them, Lor heard the sound of footsteps
in the dark tunnel.

"Get us out of here!” she hissed.

Aerin didn't have time to find the catch, so
he just lifted his right leg and kicked the door where he thought
the catch was located.

Wood splintered, but the door held.

The footsteps started into a run behind
them.

Aerin kicked again and the door flew
open.

Light flooded in, blinding Aerin, but he
grabbed Lor and started them running.  They were in some
type of paneled hall.  Aerin thought he recognized it and
made a right turn at the next intersection.

"What is happening?” the blind Lor
demanded.

"We're running through a hallway," Aerin
answered.

Suddenly Aerin recognized
something
and pulled the hooded and bound Lor to
a halt.

"Wait, in here!" Aerin
decided
and opened a door.

He closed it behind them, and immediately
started to work on the ropes at Lor's wrists, but they were knotted
solidly and it would take him a few minutes to get her free.