(dramatic music plays) The Thieves Guild
by Jake Kerr.
Season 4.
The Order of the Dragon.
Episode 5.
The Boulder and the Order.
Maylor was more interested in cleaning and organizing their new quarters in the
Thieves Tower than traveling into the mountain again.
So when Prosper asked them about investigating the blocked Dragon Road, Maylor
demurred, while Darla was excited.
You go. Report back, and I'll make sure to have a nice warm bed ready.
Darla laughed at the sincere delivery of what was certainly intended to be a
provocative remark.
Yes, please do.
The scale of Ness continued to surprise Darla.
She had spent her entire life in and around the mines, so hearing that she and
Prosper should take horses to cross the ash fields to the mountain seemed both
excessive and yet reasonable.
She was glad they did, for the trip was indeed long.
Rather than a direct path along the mountain, which took them many hours on foot
after they escaped the mountain, the two of them had to travel along a small
road through the ash fields.
I don't understand why there isn't a road along the mountain.
Darla thought back to that journey. There was no road at all,
nothing but broken stones, ruts, and large rocks.
Even walking along the mountain was challenging.
Perhaps there was a road, and it was destroyed at the same time as these fields.
Prosper waved an arm across the dirt and scrub that extended far
into the distance.
Nothing is growing despite their efforts.
Darla watched as to the left of the small road they traveled,
farmers in black tilled the dirt, which simply slid off their iron
tools.
The Dragon's Breath will do that.
Darla turned to Prosper, who seemed uninterested in anything
other than getting to the mountain.
The what?
It's a spell. A horrible, horrible spell.
It stops anything from growing or thriving. I was told it was permanent and...
He waved his arms around the dead fields.
It appears that is the case.
Before Darla could inquire further, Prosper shook his head, but Darla couldn't
tell if it was in wonder or sadness.
Whoever cast it upon these fields must have harbored great hatred for the city.
This damage is so vast, it must have been many wizards.
Could it have been a final curse before the wizards traveled through the mountain?
That is what I'm thinking.
Perhaps it was not done in anger. Perhaps it was a terrible warning or a way to stop people from entering the
mountain.
Prosper shrugged.
Who knows? It was long ago.
They continued in silence, but Darla couldn't help but peer at
everything, the small wall along the river that they approached, the plateau
that rose beyond the river, the mines beyond that.
To her left, the remains of old Ness,
the old quarter.
They reached the river, which was blocked by a stone wall.
Darla examined it from horseback as she and Prosper turned and walked
toward the mountain. It was taller than a man on horseback, but not by
much. It hid the ash fields from the river in the lower and upper quarter,
which she assumed was the extent of its function.
This is Dragon Road.
Darla glanced at the paved road under their horses and extending to a
dark cavernous opening into the mountain far in the distance.
The same road that goes through the mountain?
Yes. It extends to Drak beyond the forest.
There are stories of those that walked its entire length, but I find that
impossible to believe.
It would take you months just to walk from Ness to Drak along the road, let alone to Kalisto.
Well, with the mountain blocking the road now, such a journey is indeed impossible.
We shall see.
Prosper spurred his horse and didn't say anymore as they increased their pace
toward the mountain.
Darla, Maylor, and Prosper had not spent much time looking at the road into
the mountain. They rushed to the Thieves Tower after the death of Katrina,
and their magical descent from the waterfall.
Now, however, as she approached, Darla took in its glorious majesty.
It was enormous, more than double the width of the road, and higher than
even the great wall. It appeared to have been carved directly out of the side of the
mountain, but it seemed completely smooth, as if artisans had
spent many years carving the entrance and tunnel into a plain but decorative
welcome to travelers.
Prosper didn't pause to take in the work, but rather rode his horse directly
into the mountain. The sun was still high, so they could see well enough
inside to know that the blockage was near the entrance, perhaps 40 or
50 yards inside.
Dismounting, Prosper walked toward the rubble directly in front of them.
Darla quickly dismounted and followed, taking note of any details.
There were no guard rooms or buildings.
It was simply the road continuing into the mountain.
The only decoration were two enormous sconces that were made of stone.
As Prosper continued forward, Darla walked closer to a sconce.
She at first thought it was empty and was meant to hold a torch the size of a
tree. But as she got closer, she could see that the lattice that was to hold the tree
was actually closed at the top.
See the latticework?
Darla nearly jumped as Prosper spoke from directly next to her.
She hadn't noticed him approach.
Yes.
"It is not stone. It is a material that is extremely rare.
It contains magic."
"What do you mean?"
"Any spell that is cast within that frame is captured and will remain active until the caster
dies or another spell is cast to replace it."
Prosper waved a hand toward the sconce, and a bright light shot from his hand
toward it. The moment it reached the sconce, it flared into a brilliant
light. He turned and did the same thing with the other sconce.
When he finished, the entire entrance of the tunnel was brightly lit.
"Now when those go out, you'll know I'm dead." Prosper smiled at Darla
with a grim sincerity. "Come, let me show you something." He walked toward the
boulders. "See this?" Prosper pointed to an enormous boulder in
what was an enormous pile. He looked up and to the left and right.
"We should probably step back."
Darla wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but she followed Prosper as
he backed up nearly to the entrance.
Without looking at Darla, he spoke as he raised his hand.
"Did I mention that I'm a powerful magician?"
Darla remembered Catrina calling him a senior magician, and she had herself
witnessed his amazing magic.
"You did, but you also said you cleared manure on the road."
Prosper turned to Darla with a big smile.
"You have a wonderful memory.
You would make a great magician."
Seemingly forgetting about the boulder, he continued.
"Clearing the road to Drak was a punishment and intended to teach me humility."
He leaned closer to Darla. "Do you know why I was to be taught humility?"
Darla shook her head. "It was because I can do this."
Prosper raised his hand and aimed it toward the gigantic boulder.
Without even making a movement, it disappeared.
One moment it was there, and the next, it was completely gone.
In response, an avalanche of rocks and stones slid forward from behind and
beside it, rolling to a stop near Darla's feet.
Dust billowed up, but Darla could still see that a large portion of the road
was made clearer. It was still blocked, but by rubble, not a huge
boulder. She turned to Prosper.
"You can clear the road?"
Prosper nodded his head. "I can, and I will." He
closed his eyes. "It is gone. I don't know which one it is, but it is
gone."
Turning back to Darla, Prosper opened his eyes, his face
serious but not sad. "We have a saying that magic is a curse and a
blessing.
It is a curse because you forget what you love.
Do you know why it is a blessing?"
Darla couldn't bring herself to answer, even as she knew the horrible answer.
"It is a blessing because you forget what you have lost."
And without another word, Prosper raised his arm and strode
forward.
Karch sat at his desk staring at the young man, who seemed terrified.
Karch didn't want terrified, but he had an enormous leadership vacuum to fill.
Pattis was dead. Dervish was dead. Both his upper and lower
quarter captains had abandoned their duties.
All he had was the new fellow, Rogers, and he was already working to restore order
in the lower quarter, which is why the young man currently sat in front of him.
"You fought alongside Captain Rogers?"
"Yes, sir. He wasn't brave, but he was wise."
"It appears bravery without wisdom leaves you dead."
The young man nodded his head vigorously.
"Yes, sir. You are absolutely correct, sir."
Karch sighed. The young man was brought to his attention as having the respect of the
Guild guards, but he seemed like a cowardly simpleton.
Clearly, he was missing something. "Jasper."
"Yes, sir."
"I have need of a captain of the guard.
I asked for someone who could lead people, who understood the ebb and flow of not just
battle, but the challenge of managing citizens who are quarreling.
It is a job that requires wisdom, calm, and
yes,
bravery."
Karch waved toward Jasper. "And I would send you.
Do you feel you can do all those things?"
The young man took a moment, as if considering whether this was a job he wanted
to take, not whether it was a job he was qualified for.
"I can, sir."
"I'm afraid I don't believe you."
Karch made to stand up and dismiss the young man, but he raised a hand.
"If I may, sir."
Karch slid back down into his chair and nodded.
"The men respect me because when I lead them into danger, I'm the one in the lead.
I understand the politics, sir. Guild Master Quinto and the Knights will be reorganizing
themselves. I doubt they'll have time to patrol the streets, let alone pick sides in a war between the
Craft and Merchant Guild."
The last sentence surprised Karch. The young, terrified
man at least knew the stakes.
"I will follow your orders, sir, and your guards will follow me."
"And why do you think there will be war between the Craft and Merchant Guild?"
Jasper smiled.
"Because someone has to bear the brunt of Polo's anger, and it won't be us."
Karch finally smiled. This young man wasn't terrified.
He was devious.
Karch liked that.
"Your orders are to march on the Craft Tower and bring Orion to me, alive or
dead. Can you do that?"
"His forces are spread along the North Fork, terrified that Polo will come via boats.
I recommend we send a force at night through the Warehouse District to distract them with a feint.
As his forces are distracted, we will have time for a sustained attack on Craft Tower.
Orion
will be dropped here."
Jasper pointed to the floor next to Karch's desk.
"Alive or dead."
"Captain of the Guards Jasper,
those are indeed your orders."
Karch stood, and Jasper quickly followed to his feet.
"Thank you, sir."
Karch circled around his desk.
"And sir, don't mistake respect for fear, and a brave death may sometimes achieve more
than wisdom."
Karch hid his smile. This young man is exactly what he needed.
Now, if he could only find more like him to replace the rest of his leadership
vacuum.
(dramatic music)
A Podcast Alchemy
production.