The Ghost of Meridell: Prelude to War - Part Five

     He found the Earth Faerie seated in a wooden chair in front of her house, watching some wild petpets playing in the tree tops.

     “Good evening, Jeran,” she said as he approached. Judging by her peppy tone she must not have known what was happening at the castle. Jeran opened his mouth to explain why exactly he was here but Illusen stopped him. “I know why you’re here. Krystal stopped by.”

     “So you know about everything.”

     The Faerie nodded. “Everything.” Motioning with her head, she continued, “Let’s go inside and talk. I was just brewing some tea.”

     The Lupe squire followed Illusen inside her humble hut. The Faerie told Jeran to have a seat while she got the tea. After she came back she handed the Lupe his cup and sat down across from him. “I’m glad to see you escaped from the castle in one piece,” she said.

     “I’m not so sure I am. Sometimes I think it would’ve been better if I had been caught.”

     “Jeran, with you out here, there’s at least hope for everyone. If you’d been captured too, there’d be no one left to help.”

     “What about you?”

     Illusen looked at him sympathetically. “I would if I could, Jeran; you know I would. But... you made the right guess, Hadassah did put a spell over the people of Meridell... but that same night she also put one over me. My powers have been temporarily checked. She’s powerful, but she could never match me and she knew it. If I had known she was here, I could’ve countered her spell and this probably would’ve never happened.”

     “What does she want with you anyway? I thought she only wanted to rule Meridell.”

     “I’m the one who banished and cursed her great grandfather. I’m the one who’s responsible for her family not staying on the throne.”

      “If she’s taken your powers, then why don’t you leave and go somewhere safe?”

     “Yet another problem. Your second guess was also correct; Hadassah didn’t just blunder into this without thinking. She put a spell over the glade... some kind of invisible barrier. Whatever it is, it keeps me from leaving.”

     “If she wants you so badly, why hasn’t she come for you yet? She has the power, so what is she waiting for?”

     “I think right now she’s more worried about getting the people to be loyal to her.”

     “But they are loyal to her.”

     “Only through the spell; she wants real loyalty. Eventually the spell will wear off, but if she can keep the spell on everyone long enough the people will have forgotten that Skarl ever existed and there’ll be nothing anyone can do about it. But if you can get a hold on her scepter and destroy it, then any spells that she’s cast will instantly vanish.”

     “So really all I need to do is destroy the scepter?”

     “Basically, yes. Or her, whichever you can get to first.”

     Jeran looked thoughtful. “That shouldn’t be too hard...”

     The Earth Faerie chuckled bitterly. “Believe me, Jeran, it will be a lot harder than you think.” Illusen’s expression suddenly turned deathly serious. “Jeran, I know Krystal has a plan... a good one too, short and simple. But there is a very real chance it will fail. I hope the fortunes will be with you tomorrow, but if it does fail and you manage to escape, the only option left will be to try and get to Brightvale and ask for King Hagan’s help. That would probably be less dangerous in the first place, but it would take up too much time. And time is something we can’t waste.”

     The Lupe nodded. “I just hope this works...”

     “So do I, Jeran... so do I.”

      *****

     The next day dragged by at an agonizingly slow pace. Jeran was too nervous to eat despite Illusen’s promptings. He knew it probably wasn’t wise to go all day with not so much as a piece of bread as he might need all his strength later. But even so, he just couldn’t stop pacing long enough to even think about food.

     Finally, the sun began to set. Jeran had somehow managed to get into the tree next to the training grounds without getting caught. He was there about an hour earlier than he was supposed to be. What could he say? This was too important and he knew that if he’d been late the whole thing would be ruined.

     For the longest time he sat in that tree, watching guard after guard walk right by him without a single glance in his direction.

     Suddenly there was a shout and every single guard took off for the main entrance. Jeran didn’t know what Krystal was doing, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.

     As soon as the last guard went by, the Lupe jumped out of the tree onto the wall and in to the training grounds. He looked around one last time before darting inside.

     Quietly and cautiously he made his way down the unguarded hallways to a weapons room close by. He grabbed a crossbow and one arrow. He was a good enough shot; he should be able to hit his target the first time. Jeran turned to leave but on a sudden impulse he turned back and grabbed another arrow before leaving the room.

     From there he took a maze of back hallways and corridors that wound through the servants’ wing of the castle. When he was younger he had found a secret passage from there that led all the way up to the rafters of the throne room. It would be perfect.

     On the way Jeran found absolutely no trouble at all. With a grin, he wondered if Krystal had managed to distract every guard in the castle. It wouldn’t be a hard task for her, he decided.

     Stopping in the middle of the hall the Lupe turned and pushed open a hidden panel in the left wall. The smell of stale, dank air greeted him viciously. Despite the complaints his nose was making, Jeran stepped inside and the wall panel slid shut with a dull thud.

     Jeran proceeded up a narrow flight of stone stairs that spiraled around and around. Spyder webs ominously lined the walls and ceiling; some of the Spyders were still present, clinging to their webs in the hopes they might catch a meal.

     The Lupe squire couldn’t reach the top—and fresh air—fast enough. As he drew close he could hear the sounds of muffled voices. One was clearly Hadassah, but the other Jeran was less certain about.

     He reached the door at the top of the stairs and opened it quietly. He was greeted by a single wooden beam that led out over the throne room and to more support beams that met in the middle of the room. He was high up enough to be well out of view, that was for sure, but he could easily see his target.

     He would never be able to get her from here though. He would have to make his way to the beams in the middle to get a good shot. The Lupe took in a deep breath and braced himself. He took a cautious step out onto the beam, another, and another, and still another, all the while telling himself to not look down.

     With a sigh of relief Jeran rested his feet safely in the middle of the connected beams. And the better part was that he was now in close enough range to hit his target. The Lupe pulled out an arrow and loaded it. As he took aim at the unsuspecting Krawk far below, he saw Danner standing on her left side.

     For a second, Jeran was reminded of the dream he had the night before. The one where he was reliving the worst moment of his life, and yet it hadn’t been Gavin that had been killed, it had been Danner. What if it came down to choosing: Meridell, or the friend he’d known for years?

     The Lupe took aim again. It might not come to that. He might not be faced with that choice.

     But what if he was? What if he did have to make that choice? Could he really do that?

     It didn’t matter. An entire kingdom was at stake. He had to put aside any personal feelings and do his job.

     Jeran lowered the crossbow again.

     Did Sir Gavin put his personal feelings aside when his own squire’s life was in danger? He had been the King’s Champion. He had a responsibility to all of Meridell, and yet he still came to Jeran’s aide and had even sacrificed himself to save the Lupe. Didn’t Jeran owe it to Sir Gavin to not set personal feelings aside? And didn’t he owe the same to Danner because of their friendship all these years?

     Maybe... maybe that’s what his dream had been trying to tell him. That he shouldn’t put his personal feelings aside.

     The Lupe shook his head. Danner had betrayed King Skarl, the knights, his fellow squires... whatever had to be done, Jeran would do it.

     The squire took aim at Hadassah once more. His finger was on the trigger, ready to fire when the double doors of the throne room swung open with a resounding bang. The sudden noise caused Jeran to lose his balance, along with his grip on the crossbow.

     It was only a quick reflex that saved him from falling and an even quicker reaction that kept the crossbow in his hands.

     Jeran quickly hauled himself back onto the support beams and stayed low. Looking around at the faces down below gave him a good indication that no one had spotted his near tumble to the floor.

     Wiping away the drop of sweat that had formed on his forehead he watched as someone entered the throne room. Jeran was sure his stomach did a complete cartwheel when he saw who was walking in.

     A ghost Lupess, whose hands were tied tightly behind her back, was being roughly escorted in by a single red Draik guard.

     “Krystal...” was all he could whisper.

To be continued...