COTN House of Judas Part 5

5. Malech

The news that General Darren is back with Lord Netsu; it was all a ploy to deceived the Nation rebels. The same time, the news of an incident at the Reed Dawn Temple also was heard in the taverns and alleys but no one would speak of it in the open areas. Elder Kane is also not seen and he is the source of the rumors. The most disturbing part of the events to unfold was the killing of elves among the slaves and also those found in the forest. Their bodies are pitch onto long poles at all the twenty four cities gates as a deterrent to any uprising from the determined Nation revels.

Total death counts was around two thousand lives.

Travelers moving in and out of the cities are greeted by these decaying bodies as the prey of scavengers aid themselves to daily meals. This particular morning, the guards at the gates of the city of Atrium; a sister city of Landan avoided their duties by staying inside the gates thus allowing people to move freely at the gates.

No one noticed a bent down figure pulling a cart of fresh produce into the city. He is a tall person covered by the tatters that lent itself as a cloak on his body. He pulled the cart to the market place as it was designated for, and left it there unattended. The man was soon to be seen in the alleys as he move in fast steps to his designated place. He soon find himself at the square where the ladies lined up to take their water for their daily needs. The place is filled with a few people as he approached it. He  took up the well bucket and placed his hand into it for a while. He then throw the bucket into the well, and walked away. He was to walked out of the city later without his cart. This was not at the City of Atrium but at Landan and also Trivium, although they were different people who visited the cities.

"Lord Netsu' latest proclamation; a total of five thousand citizen have perished from the poisoning of the well at the square. Its found the works to be that of the rebel known as Cedi of Canaan and Jedi of Judas. Anyone; Man or otherwise may come forth to claim the rewards for their capture dead or alive." A poster of five hundred gold pieces was displayed.

"Jedi, why are we here in the city?" Dern is looking at surrounding with interest as Trivium is a beautiful city. Its called

the City of Beauty as the city is adorned with well designed landscape parks and cultural centers with a size able population of craftsmen and academics. There is also a well known center here named Twilight Tower which not many are aware of except the selected few who are wizards or sorcerers.

This center is well protected by the Red Guards as their most valued person in the realm is there now; the Sorcerer Malech or better known as the Spell Binder. He is not here on his own free will but as a captive of Man. He was trapped by two of his student who join Man and betrayed their own people.

Jedi is not here for Malech but he is here to find out who is putting all those efforts to frame him and the Dark Elf. He does not deny that when he passed the center, his mind drift to the Elf Master of sorcery housed there.

"Jedi, look over there." Dern tapped his Senior on the shoulder.

Jedi followed the gesture of his junior and noticed the assembled guards there at the entrance of the Twilight Tower. That was not the interest that caught Jedi' interest but the person whom the guards were protecting; the sorceress Pipa of Lord Netsu'.

Jedi pulled the junior warrior with him into the alley and ran down it without stopping. They have ran for a few blocks before they stopped to rest.

"Dern, be careful when you sight on the Sorceress. She can read your mind from a distance and nothing is secret from her." Jedi knew of the sorceress as he met her before when he was a younger warrior then.

He was part of the entourage to Genoe which met the General then with his young daughter, Pipa. It was during the meeting that he had a preview of her ability. It cost them two lives of the warriors that spoke too rashly in low whispers.

Jedi pulled the young warrior to a secluded part of the city where the taverns are many and the patrons are of the worst types. The duo made their entry to a tavern named Raging Unicorn.

The entrance to the tavern is a open doorway with stairs going down to the level below. The counter bar is on the right side of the entrance with seven tables lined up in the place which all are occupied. Jedi and his junior make his way to the counter to have their drink. They did not bring their long handle swords during this trip as they feared it would be recognised.

"We do not like to have elves in this place. More so when they are Elite Guards." The Man who spoke drew his sword to swing at the elves, but Jedi had anticipated the move and used his side kick to hold the arm from completing the swing.

"Good move, Jedi."

The Man who swing the sword motioned to the ones at the doorway to barred the doors.

"Welcome to our hideout, Jedi. Tell me what is worth more than five hundred gold so I can forgive myself for not turning you in." General Noah; previously of the Red Guards now a mercenary with a personal score to settle with General Darren. The later took his position next to Lord Netsu and made him a cripple on his right leg.

"Who is responsible for the poisoning?"Jedi asked him.

"I am. The gold paid to me was enough for me to do it, but I did not set the reward/. It was Lord Netsu himself. He wanted to bring you out. You are still a hero among your people. Now that you are here, I get to collect another chest of gold and be reinstated with my own division of guards. So do I collect?" Jedi looked at the older warrior and smiled.

"I guess not. It was a good attempt too." Both General Noah and Jedi have a good laugh. Then the General spoke out; "It was General Darren and he wanted to draw you out. And the Dark Elf."

"That works well. I am here and I do not know where the Dark Elf is. Thank you for the information." Jedi leave a pouch of gold on the counter and proceeded to leave.

"Not so fast, my old friend." Jedi see the others sitting in the Tavern all drew their swords. They are about fifteen of them and they don't looked friendly. Jedi looked to the General, and the General smiled.

"I need you to do a task for me. Your skills would come in useful. I need you go into the Twilight Tower."

"Five hundred golds." The two leaders shake hand.

The Twilight Tower is a round structure with seven levels to it and two hundred paces across tapered to fifty pace near the top. According to General Noah, the only guards are the ones outside; there are only fifty of them on three rotations. Jedi asked about the guards inside and he was told there was none as they did see any come or leave.

"Who else is there in the Tower" Dern asked. "I mean besides Malech as rumored."

"There is none as far we know. Our task is to collect an artifact from the Tower. Its called the Oracle. It used to belong to the House of Canaan. We leave tonight."

"Intruder at the South Perimeter." The alarm was raised and the most of the guards ran for the perimeter leaving only only a handful at the entrance but we were at the other side. There were only five of them; the elves, General Noah and two of his men.

"The window on the fourth level. It partially open." Jedi took up the bow given to him by General Noah. He aimed the arrow tied to a rope and released it. The arrow fell short and he tried again while the rest kept watched. The second shot went past the window. Suddenly the rope went taut when pulled by Jedi. He looked surprised but the General smiled.

"I lied."

When they climbed in the window, they were met by a priest. Noah introduced the priest as his nephew. He is a young man but he does not speak as he is mute so they cannot recite any spells they may have learned. The priests live on lower levels and the above levels are only for the prisoner. General Noah said there are only three priests to served Malech.

The priest point them to the stairs. They ran for it but the part was blocked by two priests armed with long staff. The nephew ran forth to faced the priests. He communicate with them in signs and soon they stepped away. The five of them climbed up the stairs and came to faced on a old elf standing there.

"You took your time. I thought my spells were not working anymore." The elf is tall and frail in the body frame covered by a loose tunic that reached to his knees. His feet are clad in a pair of cloth sandals made by himself. "I waited long enough for me to be freed again."

"No, Malech. We did not come here to free you. We came here to retrieve the Oracle. Show us that and we may yet free you." General Noah told the old elf and the other shook his head.

"Fools!" The older elf walked back to his seat at the rear and sat himself down. "You are fools to come for the Oracle. Its cursed and its guarded by the Dark Guardians. Not the ones you fought in the last war, but this ones are the dead spirits. That is the power of the Oracle. It hold sway on the spirits of the dead Guardians. They served in their mortal lifetime and also in death."

"Tell us where they keep the Oracle and we would be on our way." Noah asked of the old sorcerer. The old man point to the next level. The five of them walked to the stairs that would lead them upstairs. They mount up the stairs and soon find themselves in a large hall with multiple staircases that leads in every directions to differing heights and across.

"Look there, General. The Oracle." They all sees the Oracle; a a short glass wand with a oblong shaped crystal head at the top, and it looked likes its on a small table on a small platform which can be reached by the stairs but this platform is upright in a vertical position making the table to appear to be nailed on the wall. The five of them mount up the stairs but they seemed to be moving in every directions except to the one that would take them to the table. After some fruitless attempts, they find themselves back at the same place.

"Bring Malech." General Noah told his men. The two ran down and brought the old sorcerer up the stairs. "Malech, break the spell and we would take you out. Or we would put a dagger in between your ribs to the heart."

"Fools! Do you think I feared your dagger? I only feared those." The old Elf points to behind the General. Noah turned back and he sees stairs are filled with some form of beasts that is a cross between Man and Serpent. The former is the above while the body below the torso is a serpent body with its long tail. There are twenty of them on those stairs.

"Malech, show us your magic." Jedi shout at the old sorcerer but the sorcerer laughed back. "We promised you freedom if you helped us."

"The Oracle can help. Retrieve it." Jedi heard the old sorcerer and he leap out from the stairs while swinging his chain attached to the sickle.

The sickle stuck to a railing and he used that to swing to another. He landed at one of the stairs which is upside down but he finds himself dropping onto it. He stands to find himself upside down to the others. He pulled at the sickle and it came loose to his hand. He swings it once more time but this time he reached the stairs that lead to the table.

Meanwhile the serpent man are attacking the others which they defend with their swords. There was two serpent man who slitter towards Jedi. Jedi swung himself and find he is at the stairs leading to the table. He went forth to find a man serpent blocking his way. Jedi raised his sword but the serpent man went down with a sickle in the chest. It was Dern who threw his sickle at the beast.

Jedi rushed to the table and grabbed the Oracle. He can feel the strange feeling surging through his body when the old sorcerer shouted out.

"Throw me the Oracle."

Jedi threw the Oracle at the old sorcerer which received it in his hand. The old sorcerer picked up the wand and muttered some spell. Jedi can see the other serpent man shrieked out in pain and then dissolved into a fine mist. The hall of stairs disappeared to become a round hall which reached high to the ceiling. Jedi retrieved his sickle and chain from the flooring and also Dern' sickle. The two men who accompanied General Noah placed their swords at the throat of the old sorcerer.

"The old Elf comes with us. Move and he dies." They threatened on the life of the old sorcerer. General Noah was taken aback by the treachery of his own men. The old sorcerer laughed and then the two captives of his find themselves impaled by their own sword. The old sorcerer then looked at his rescuer.

"Goodbye." The old sorcerer disappeared with the Oracle. The remaining three warriors looked at each other. General Noah smiled at the elves.

"I guess I owe you five hundred golds."